A Pretty Revolution
by tinuviel451
Summary: Megumi Yoshikawa is a young girl struggling with her identity and her personal life ever since she decided to become a woman. Discovering that Yuna Kurumi has a similar problem, they both hope to deal with their struggles together, with unintended consequences for both their friends and family.
1. Surgical Prep

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Pretty Face or Day of Revolution series. I am simply a fanfic writer who enjoys both manga and admires Yashiro Kano and Mikiyo Tsuda for the rich cast of characters they have created.

A Pretty Revolution

Chapter 1: Surgical Prep

In Suzuki Hospital, in one of the dozens of examination rooms, a young teenager sat quietly as he awaited his surgery. He took a deep breath and stared the bleach white walls of his room, his posture straight and relaxed as he waited on a pale white exam table. The teen was already wearing his white hospital gown, and simply waited for his doctor to arrive through the door.

_ Today was his last day as Kei, the man. After the surgery he would change the pronunciation of the kanji in his name and begin his new life as Megumi, the woman. It would change everything for him. _Kei Yoshikawa brushed back his short brown hair as he patiently waited for his doctor _He hoped that living as a woman would be easier than living as a half-baked man, but wondered if he needed to change his lifestyle so drastically. Kei had_ weighed his options. Transitioning would help with reconciling with his father, and it would be a good way to undo the mistakes he had made in his life. Genetically, he was a girl so being a woman should be natural to him. Kei's choice would also mean leaving his high school friends and his male mindset behind him. He wanted to have second thoughts about his decision, but knew that it was a little late to be having doubts.

Suddenly, the door to the exam room swung open. A middle-aged doctor walked in, carrying a clipboard with Kei's medical history and the operation checklist. Kei gave him a small smile as he scanned through his clipboard.

"Kei, we're going to begin our operation in a few minutes," Dr. Suzuki said, lifting his head up from his list. "Before we start, your surgeon is coming in to speak with you. He's a highly accredited doctor who is an expert on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He's taken quite an interest in your case, and despite my objections he wants to meet with you before we start the surgery. When you see him, please bear in mind he is a little . . . unorthodox."

Dr. Suzuki walked back towards the door and opened it a little wider, allowing another, younger doctor to enter the room. Kei could see the confidence in his eyes as he approached him, but bristled at the sight of his wide, creepy smile.

"Kei, I want you to meet Dr. Jun Manabe, your surgeon," Suzuki said.

Kei shyly smiled as Manabe adjusted his glasses and leaned in uncomfortably close to his patient's face. After taking a few moments to examine Kei's features, he quickly turned back to. Suzuki. "Well, he's a beautiful kid, just like you said," Manabe proudly stated. He then beckoned to Kei, giving him a pleasant grin.

"The operation will be fine, just relax. I know you will be a beautiful girl soon, you have the right body for it. In fact, right after you're done healing up, why don't we go out on a date? It'll help you get more experience with guys," Manabe said, holding his hand out to his patient. Kei yelped as his surgeon was pushed aside by Suzuki.

"Don't worry about Dr. Manabe. He may be immature but he is the best plastic surgeon I've ever come across. In fact, he recently started his own clinic after turning down a higher position at this hospital. At least with some motivation from the ethics committee. . ."

Suzuki cleared his throat loudly. "Doctor, might we get on with the surgery? We've gone over his case and the procedure for his operation several times already. You are here to fix the hormonal imbalance in the patient's body with precision surgery to his pituitary glands. You will then enhance his already present feminine features through cosmetic surgery around the hips and waist."

"Yes, I understand perfectly," Manabe quickly replied.

Suzuki tapped Manabe's clipboard with a pen. "Remember, you are NOT to perform any other cosmetic surgery on the patient. I know you want to perform a full sexual reassignment surgery but Kei has decided against that. We've argued about this several times and I don't want to have to get the hospital ethics committee involved again. Understand, doctor?" Kei watched as. Dr. Manabe turned to his colleague, his eyes burning with passion.

"How can you tell me not to let him reach his full potential? Look at Kei, this young man about to become a beautiful woman," Manabe said proudly. "With a little bit of surgery below the waist, he's going to be Japan's top actress or the world's most gorgeous fashion model!"

"Hey, wait a minute! I never said I wanted do anything like that!" Kei angrily shouted.

"Dr. Manabe, please control yourself! Kei certainly wants to be a woman, but he will ultimately decide what his surgery will entail. The decision to live his life this way has certainly not been an easy one. He'll have to relearn everything, from his clothing choices down to his speech patterns. My niece Makoto will be helping him along with the process, but your constant harassment will make it even harder for him to transition properly. Surely you could understand that," Suzuki said calmly.

Manabe frowned as he continued to look at his patient. Slowly, Manabe nodded his head in agreement. "Fine, but Kei, if you ever want to be the perfect girl, please call me at my clinic, anytime. I guess I'll have to wait until another beauty comes along for me to perform that kind of surgery. Preferably one that won't be able to object . . ."

"What was that last part, doctor?" Dr. Suzuki asked, glaring at him."

"N-nothing! Enough chit-chat, we have to start the surgery," Dr. Manabe said, snatching the clipboard out of Suzuki's hands. "Let's head for the operating room before Kei gets too stressed out."

Kei was led out of his examination room towards the surgery ward as both doctors followed right behind him, discussing the fine details of the upcoming procedure amongst themselves. Kei sighed. It would be a long road to womanhood, but at least he wouldn't have to deal with with that pervert of a doctor any longer. Or so he hoped.


	2. Mysterious Girl

Chapter 2: Mysterious Girl

-3 years after the surgery-

Megumi Yoshikawa was tired. She hadn't been sleeping well, not well enough to concentrate on her studies. Despite Megumi's exhaustion, she was being marched towards a local clinic alongside her friend and tutor Makoto Yutaka. As they walked together, Makoto examined her friend's tired face and her long limp hair.

"Megumi, did you get any rest this week? I thought you would know by now that every girl needs her beauty sleep. Perhaps I should give you another lecture on womanhood," Makoto said, laughing softly.

The young woman let out a long sigh, her head drooping even more. "Look, I know I need to get more sleep, it's just hard to find the time between my school work and my stalker friends chasing me all the time," she snapped. "Could you tell me why I need to see my surgeon right now? I'm not exactly thrilled to be seeing again. If he's still the same I guy I remember, he's going to try and hit on me again the moment I walk into his clinic."

Makoto turned to her friend with a thin smile. "You have a yearly checkup, remember? You need to see Dr. Manabe again to make sure your condition stable. You're intersex, so you'll always have a few health issues."

"I never would have agreed to have him as my surgeon if I knew I had to meet him every year! Still, I can handle a simple check-up on my own," Megumi grumbled.

"You've been worrying me lately, Megumi. You've fallen asleep in class a couple of times this month. You usually talk with my brother on the phone at least once a day, but you haven't called him in over a week. You've also told me you've been getting headaches, like the ones you had before you transitioned. I know something is bothering you, but you won't tell me what the problem is. I'm just making sure you follow through," Makoto replied, giving her friend a comforting look.

Megumi rubbed her shoulders nervously. "Alright, I'll go. But if that pervert tries anything, you better come help me!"

As Makoto and Megumi talked, a small white building came into view. A large sign was posted near the entrance with the words "Manabe's Clinic" displayed in black kanji. The two girls walked into the empty waiting room and took a seat. Almost immediately they heard a loud gasp coming from the examination room door.

"Kei, is that you?"

A familiar voice rang through the clinic, leaving Megumi and Makoto bewildered. Suddenly, the door swung open. A wild and youthful doctor came running towards Megumi, his arms stretched wide. He quickly wrapped himself around Megumi, crying tears of joy.

"I was worried we'd never see each other again! It's been so long, but I always remembered you. Now we can finally work towards your goal: becoming the world's number one fashion model!" he shouted, his fists raised triumphantly in the air.

"Get off me, you sick bastard!" Megumi yelled, punching Manabe back hard enough to slam him into the nearby wall.

Manabe slowly picked himself up and smiled, even with a nasty bump on his head.

"So, what brings you here to my humble clinic? Did you need more surgery scheduled, or do you finally want to take me up on my offer for a date?" he said, dusting off his white coat.

Megumi quickly shook her head. "You know I already have a boyfriend. I'm just here for my yearly check-up. Nothing more."

Manabe chuckled. "I always have time for a check-up, particularly for a cute girl like you."

"Your friend can wait here. Come with me and I'll give you a thorough examination," Dr. Manabe said as he took Megumi by the hand, dragging her towards his office.

"Makoto, you're coming with me right?" she asked as she was pulled along.

"Don't worry, Megumi, I'm sure your physical will be conducted professionally. Just make sure your physical isn't too long. We have a bus to catch," Makoto said as she waved goodbye. Megumi could hear her friend laughing softly as she covered her mouth, just as Manabe guided her up the stairs.

After a couple of minutes of prodding, poking, and fondling, Dr. Manabe was finally done with Megumi's physical, leaving her feeling drained and slightly violated. Satisfied with his patient's exam, Manabe leaned back in his small desk chair. "Kei- I mean Megumi, you are in excellent physical health, with no complications from your surgery. It does worry me that you've been having problems lately with insomnia and migraines. If you need a therapist to talk to, I can give you a recommendation for one."

Megumi sighed, putting her blouse back on as she sat on the exam table. "It's fine, Dr. Manabe. I... I can deal with my problems on my own. I'm 18 years old, after all."

Manabe shook his head. "I'd advise against that, but I think you're mature enough to decide for yourself. You've certainly grown since the operation."

His patient nodded as she adjusted her rumpled clothes back to some semblance of decency. "Thanks. I know I've come a long way in the last few years towards womanhood, I just wish you weren't the doctor that would confirm that."

Megumi sat on the examination table, waiting for Manabe to finish typing up his examination summary at his computer. As she waited, she looked over to the corner where she noticed the clinic's bed was empty. She looked around the room, wondering where the doctor's patient could be.

"Hey Manabe . . . where's that patient of yours?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"There, Megumi said as she pointed to the empty cot, "your coma patient. He was laying there about a year ago, still covered in scars and his eyelids burnt off. I nearly vomited the moment I saw him. You told me he was a victim in a bus crash and that you were going to reconstruct his face. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him? Was he transferred to another hospital or something?"

Manabe fiddled with his glasses, avoiding his patient's curious gaze. "Well, umm... I'm sad to say that my patient passed away. He already had severe head injuries in addition to his extensive burns from the accident. Eventually, his worsening coma eventually caused his brain to shut down entirely. Even the best doctors can't save all patients, particularly those with such a poor prognosis," Manabe replied, his forehead beginning to drip with sweat.

Megumi raised an eyebrow at the doctor, watching him fidget in his chair. "If that's true then why did you give him cosmetic surgery for his face? I'm no doctor, but it doesn't make much sense to give him a beautiful face if he was still fighting for his life."

Dr. Manabe laughed nervously. "I think if I told you anymore about his case, I would be violating my patient's right to privacy. Even a patient who's no longer with us needs his secrets kept safe. Anyway, it's time for you to get home and take a good nap. After all, a growing girl needs her rest, and medical talk isn't going to help with your sleep."

"Yeah, don't remind me. If you'll excuse me, I have my friend to get back to and a bus ride back home," Megumi groaned. Manabe quickly led her out the exam room, a worried look still on his face. He then pointed the way back towards the clinic entrance and returned to his examination room, shutting the door behind him.

As Megumi returned to her friend in the waiting room, she suddenly noticed the sound of running footsteps. A young woman suddenly came sprinting up the stairs and through the hallway. Megumi hardly had enough time to call out before she slammed into her, knocking Megumi to the ground.

"Sorry about that," she said, bowing deeply before offering Megumi her hand. As she took her hand Megumi took a quick look at the young woman. She was blonde, around her height, and wore a red blazer and plaid skirt, unlike her sailor fuku. Megumi dusted her uniform off as Yuna adjusted the straps on her school bag.

"I just needed to see Manabe for a moment. Usually he doesn't get clients around here very often, so I thought it was safe to run through here. I guess not, huh?"

"It's alright, it's alright. Just be careful next time, okay?" she said as she waved her off.

Megumi continued her walk down the hall, trying to put to that perverted doctor out of her mind. She looked took one last look back at Manabe's door before noticing a small textbook lying on the floor. She picked it up, checking it to make sure it wasn't hers. As she tried to call out to the girl, she had already reached Manabe's office., The doctor smiled as he welcomed her in, even trying to give her a hug. The woman pushed him inside, slamming the door shut behind her. Megumi walked up to it, wondering if she should knock on the door and bring her the textbook. As she approached Manabe's office, she could make out a loud conversation in the room. Not wanting to interrupt what could be an important meeting, she turned around, taking note of the name scribbled on the inside of the cover.

"Yuna Kurumi, huh? I guess I'll bring it to her later on." she said to herself, carrying the book in her arms as she walked back to the waiting room.

Yuna slammed the door shut, pushing Manabe back into his examination room. She threw her bag onto the ground as she panted harshly.

"I can't take it anymore, Manabe! The real Yuna might have been able to get perfect test scores, but I... I can't pass! I'm halfway through my senior year, and I barely managed to pass my midterms last week. I was only able to get by because Yuna was able to email me some of her study tips over to me. You know that Rina's going to suspect something if I flunk the finals at the end of the year."

"Calm down! Maybe you need to take a few days to relax," Manabe said, gesturing for her to take a seat on the exam table. She grimaced at him as she sat and crossed her arms.

"You know what would happen if I tried to relax. Rina would try and push me to take her out somewhere or her friends will come to take us to a mall. It's torture being surrounded by all these girls, they don't have any sense of decency when they think there aren't any guys around. It's only a matter of time before I get found out. I can't even make any progress with my relationship with Rina when I look like her twin sister! I thought you were going to make my condition better. Where are you with that surgery you promised me?"

Manabe shook his head, giving his patient a stern look.

"I can't tell you anything until the end of the school year. I'm still working on finding the medical supplies for the surgery, but they should be here soon. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what you need me to do for you _today_."

Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she continued her rant. "You're the Seika High School doctor. Can't you make my work load easier? Maybe you could help convince my teachers to go easier on me when grading my tests. You could even 'misplace' some of the harder assignments that they hand out to the class."

"Rando, I thought I made it clear that I can't help you cheat or fake your grades. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to buckle down and study harder. Helping you cheat on your tests isn't going to help you learn the material your teachers expect you to know. Besides, people are starting to ask questions about you, and if I start helping you cheat you're going to get found out," Manabe said.

"Huh? Is someone asking about me?" she asked as she jumped up from the table.

"It's nothing to worry about," Manabe assured her, "it's just an old patient of mine curious about the accident that got you your new face. However, you're going to have to keep a low profile for the next couple of days and hope no one else starts asking about you. Think of it as an opportunity for you to catch up on your school work."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," she said, nodding her head quickly. "Just make sure that no else asks about me, alright? I have enough on my plate as it is," she said as she snatched her bag up from the floor.


	3. First Impressions

Chapter 3: First Impressions

"I can't believe you made us miss the bus, Megumi," Makoto said, giving her friend a light smack on the shoulder. The two girls waited on a bus stop bench, watching as the streetlights were beginning to flicker on. The sun was already setting, and despite their efforts to run to the bus stop, they still couldn't make it in time.

"Listen, I have enough money to get a taxi. Is that what you want?" Megumi asked, rubbing her shoulder. "The next bus isn't going to be here for another 30 minutes."

"It's fine, it's fine," Makoto said, sighing loudly. "I just wanted to be home in time to give my brother a good teasing. He's been getting into that Princess role ever since you visited him at the festival."

"He's cute when he dresses up, but I know he has trouble worry about what other people think of him. I just wanted to tell Mikoto to not worry about being seen like that . He's a good guy, he just needs to work on his self-confidence."

As they waited, Megumi noticed same the blonde haired girl from before exit the clinic. She watched as the girl stomped away, gritting her teeth as she crossed the street.

"Hey, Makoto, I know you're not going to like this but . . . that girl over there left a textbook behind in the hall. She was with Manabe at the time, so I couldn't give it to her then. Do you mind if we follow her to give her back her book?"

Makoto sighed loudly, rising up from the bench.

"Fine. If this is some excuse for you not to go home, I'm not liking this."

The two of them followed Yuna from a distance, crossing street after street. Megumi hoped they would able to catch up to her quickly but the girl kept walking at a brisk pace, forcing them to jog just to keep her in sight. By the time Yuna reached her home, they were panting harshly and wiping away sweat from their faces.

"At . . . least I know . . . that I need to work on my . . . endurance in P.E.," Megumi said, taking several deep breaths as they walked up to the front door.

"Don't . . . don't you know, Megumi? Exercise is the best way to regulate your mood," Makoto said, pounding on the door as she gasped for air. After a few moments the door opened, revealing a girl just like the one at the clinic, except with black hair and much more demure aura about her. She gave the two a polite smile as she pushed the door aside.

"Hello, what can I do for you two today? You look you've been out jogging," she said, watching as they continued to catch their breath.

"You wouldn't happen to Yuna Kurumi, would you? I saw you at the clinic earlier, and you dropped a textbook?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I haven't been to the clinic in a while. I think you're talking about my twin sister, Yuna. She's been feeling under the weather recently. My name is Rina Kurumi."

Megumi awkwardly smiled, wiping away the remander of the sweat from her forehead. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Megumi, and this is my friend Makoto. We're here to drop off a textbook for her."

Rina quickly beckoned them inside, letting them set their shoes near the door.

"She's taking a bath right now, but I'm sure she'll be glad to get her textbook back. We can wait in the living room so you can take a rest," she said, ushering them further inside.

Their polite young host led both of them into the living room and urged her guests to have a seat on a large couch at the center. After a quick trip to the kitchen, Rina brought out a small teapot and three cups to serve her guests. After pouring tea for both Megumi and Makoto, Rina pulled up a chair to sit across from them and to pour herself a cup. They waited, each taking a drink of the warm Japanese tea that soothed their hearts. After several minutes of nothing but the sound of sipping warm tea, Megumi decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, Rina, if you don't mind me asking, how is your sister doing? I saw her at the clinic, she seemed like she was a bit on edge. Is she alright?"

"To be honest, she's been a little bit down lately," Rina said as she held her cup in her hand. "It's a long story, but she has been a bit off since she came back for her junior year of high school. It's like she's forgotten how to study properly. I know she wanted to become a beautician, but it doesn't explain why her grades have gotten so bad, even in our senior year."

"Maybe she's not the studying type," Makoto said as she took another sip of her drink. "Not everyone is cut out for academic life."

"Not my sister," Rina said as she shook her head. "She used to get perfect scores on tests back in junior high. I remember she used to love to learn, whether it was English, history, or chemistry. Now the only subjects she's good at are physical education and mathematics."

Megumi nodded politely, setting her drink on a nearby table.

"If you want, I can have a talk with her. Maybe I could give her a couple tips on how to study properly. I'm not saying I'm the best student, but I think I know how to help her cope with high amounts of stress."

"I'm not sure if Yuna's out of the bath yet," Rina said as she glanced towards the stairs. "If you want, you can go up to her room to meet her. Her door is on the right side of the hallway."

Megumi nodded as she brought the book out of her bag. She headed up the stairs, entering Yuna's room with a small steps. She looked around, looking at the soft plush toys on her desk and the colorful notebooks on the shelves. It was feminine, far too feminine for own tastes. Megumi carefully sat down on the bed, taking a long stare at the room around her. She had been living as a woman for a few years, but the idea of pink and frills and hearts decorating her room never appealed to her. She sighed, placing the textbook by her side. Perhaps Yuna would give her a few tips on accepting womanhood if she had the time.

Megumi swiveled her head around as she heard the door creak open. A blonde girl, clad only in a bath towel, slowly walked into the room, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she held her towel with the other.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I think I have your-"

The young girl jumped at the sound her voice, letting her hand slip out of place. Megumi watched as the towel fell to the ground, revealing Yuna's secret in a upfront and very personal way. Her mind went blank as she stared back at her, wondering what kind of deviant she had just uncovered.


	4. A Tiresome Evening

Chapter 4: A Tiresome Evening

Yuna groaned loudly as she stomped her way out of the clinic. She kept walking, her rage boiling up inside as she tried to think a way out of her hellish school life. After all, that doctor was the one who got her into this mess by giving Yuna her new face after her time in a coma from her accident. However, while may be a pervert, Dr. Manabe still had some morals. The most inconvenient of which involved not helping his patients cheat to get passing grades, she thought as she continued on her way home. What kept her going was knowledge that it would only be a matter of months until her promise to the real Yuna would be fulfilled, and she could get her surgery to become Rando Masashi once more. Then she could finally be able to go out with Rina properly, not as her twin sister but as her new boyfriend returned from the dead.

"Welcome back, big sis," Rina said as her sister entered her home. Her smile and warm voice usually helped Yuna perk up, but not today. Today she simply wanted to take a bath and go to bed.

"If you don't mind, could you start preparing tonight's dinner? I know it's my turn to cook but I'm just too tired to prepare anything right now. I'll be upstairs relaxing in the bath."

"Okay, sis. By the way, Nozomi wanted to talk to you today. She told me that she invited us to her birthday party a couple of days ago, but you never responded to her. She had to cancel the entire event because you missed. What happened?"

Yuna groaned, putting her hand to her face.

"Dammit, I . . . I didn't have the time that weekend but I. . . I completely forgot to tell her that I couldn't come. If you see her tomorrow, just tell her that I'm really sorry about missing her birthday and I'll make it up to her as soon as possible."

Her sister nodded. "I'll be downstairs in the kitchen if you need me."

"Make sure that you follow the recipes this time, okay Rina?" her twin said with a strained look in her eyes. "Remember, the spices are in the cupboard, left of the stove. The can next to the sink is the soap powder.

Rina watched as her sister slowly climbed her way up to her room. "Have a good rest, big sis!" she shouted up the stairs.

She headed upstairs into the bathroom and quickly locked the door. She let her school bag fall to the floor as she walked closer to the bathtub, taking care to rub her tired arms and tired hands. She slid the opaque sliding doors behind her, turning the faucet on as she began to undress. As the hot water slowly rose she pulled off her uniform skirt and blouse, followed by her bra and panties, letting them fall onto the white tiled floor. Lastly she pulled off the fake set of breasts given to her by Dr. Manabe and placed them on the counter.. After turning the water off Yuna calmly took a seat at the plastic stool near the shower station and lathered up her body with a bar of soap. As she washed up, Yuna wondered if she'd ever look like her old self again. She could only faintly remember the time she was known as Rando the karate champion, the most feared guy in Seika High. Instead she was now Yuna, a beautiful young teen with a timid twin sister, an obsessive fangirl at her back, and a karate club following her every move. With her luck, it could be a lifetime before she could become that man again. Yuna quickly shook her head, forcing the notion out her mind. She promised to get her face back one way or another, if she had to force that bastard Manabe to give it to her.

After she rinsed herself off one last time she finally took a step into the bath, the hot steam giving her body a lovely white glow. Sliding into the water, Yuna took the time to sigh as she finally found herself some time alone. The water helped to take away some of her aches and pains, but it still couldn't wash away the face she had unwillingly received. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine herself living as a man again. She could see herself as Rando, back from a long journey away from his true love. She could see Rina, beautiful and innocent as she reached her hand on a scenic park bench. She could imagine them sitting side by side, watching as the clouds rolled by over head and the trees swayed in the wind.

Yuna slid down into the water, letting the time pass by with fantasies of what could be and what could have been. After what seemed to be a long while, she got out of the water, letting the water drip down her body. It may have felt good fantasizing, she thought, but it wouldn't do her any good running away from her problems. She pulled the drain out of the tub and quickly wrapped a towel around herself. After reapplying her fake breasts she looked around the room for a fresh set of clothes. Unfortunately, she remembered that in her rush to bathe she failed to retrieve clean clothes. Yuna swung the the bathroom door open to head back to her room to find something to wear. As she entered the room she rubbed her eyes, the steam from the bath still affecting her vision.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I think I have your-"

Yuna jumped, the sound of an unfamiliar girl's voice. Unfortunately, as she tried to look around for it's source, she let go of her towel. She managed to see the schoolgirl she had ran into from the clinic sitting on her bed, looking right at her as her towel slowly drifted to the floor. Yuna's mind went blank as she looked into Megumi's shocked eyes, her maleness exposed. For a few moments they simply stared each other, both unable to move. After what seemed to be a lifetime out of it, Yuna snatched up her towel up and wrapped it around herself, knotting as tight as she could.

"I-I-I know it's a little much to ask a stranger, but just believe me when I say I've got my reasons for looking like this," Yuna stammered as she approached Megumi cautiously.

"Is this some kind of sick joke? Who the hell are you and what have you done to that girl downstairs?" Megumi asked, balling her hands up into fists.

Yuna wildly shook her head. "No, no, no! It isn't like that at all! Please... just please listen to me... I'm not a bad person, but I need to you to keep quiet about this. I can explain if you let me take you back to the clinic."

"You expose yourself to me, and now you're talking about understanding? Is your name even Yuna Kurumi?"

"H-how did you know my-"

"I was coming over here to give you back the textbook you dropped at the clinic. Now I just want to run downstairs and call the police."

"Look, I don't know who you are but... I need this face, at least for a little while longer. I really am trying my best as Rina's sister. I've made some mistakes, but I've always tried to do what was best for her. I'm sorry for what happened, so please, just give me a chance to explain myself," Yuna whispered, bowing her head in submission.

Megumi glared at the poor "girl," her lips curled in contempt. "Fine. I'll give you a chance. My friend and I will be coming with you, just in case you try to run away. And if I don't like your answer, I'll march you down to the nearest police station myself."

Yuna nodded as she opened the door for Megumi, her hand trembling as she held the door knob. As the two of them rushed down the stairs, Rina and Makoto stood up from their chairs in the living room. Megumi pulled her friend along with her as they headed to the front door, quickly putting on their shoes.

"Big sis? Where are you all going?" Rina asked, placing her cup onto the table.

"These two girls and I are going to have a long talk about my academic situation. It's a little too noisy here, so I'm heading out to Dr. Manabe's clinic for a while I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay Yuna, just be careful. Mom and Dad aren't going to like it if they get here and you're not home" Rina said as her sister ran the front door with Megumi and Makoto following close behind.

Dr. Manabe wasn't expecting any visitors at his clinic, especially after sundown. However, when he saw three girls suddenly appear in his waiting room, he wasted no time leading them inside. He and Yuna sat in separate chairs as Makoto and Megumi took a seat on a white bed meant for sick patients. As Makoto and Megumi settled in, Yuna and Manabe explained their situation, and the journey Rando had taken from being a karate champion to becoming a schoolgirl named Yuna Kurumi. Megumi and Makoto stayed quiet most of the time, nodding their head as Yuna talked. After an hour of explanation Yuna finally finished, drawing in a deep breath. A few seconds passed before Megumi broke her silence.

"So, you're Masashi Rando, correct?" Megumi asked as she crossed her arms.

"Yes, that's me." Yuna replied.

"So only Natsuo and Dr. Manabe know who you are?"

"If I don't count you two, then yes, as far as I know they are the only ones who know my secret."

Megumi took a deep breath as she leaned back, the springs creaking under her. She rubbed her eyelids, trying to keep awake after a full hour of hearing Yuna's story. "So, you've been living as Yuna Kurumi for the past year after being in a coma for the same amount of time. You haven't been caught, but you're looking out for your new twin sister who you happen to like. What I find even more shocking is that the real Yuna is perfectly okay with some stranger living her life, in her home, with her family, with her sister. She trusts you that much?"

"Like I said, she didn't trust me at first, but I managed to convince her otherwise. I've taken care of Rina for this entire year without doing anything inappropriate to her or any of my classmates." Yuna said calmly. "I'm in love with her, I'd never do anything to harm her."

As Megumi sat in her chair, she noticed that her friend was looking over Yuna closely.. "Makoto? Is there something you want to say?"

Makoto smiled broadly as she placed her hand underneath her chin. "Your adopted family has no idea that you're someone else? How interesting. Megumi, you might want to take a few lessons from Rando here if you want to be more like other women. If he could make new friends after becoming a woman, so could you."

Yuna blinked, her mouth opening a little wider. "Megumi? Are you . . . are you a guy too?

Megumi shook her head. "Not exactly . . . genetically I'm female but I was born with a male body. I received cosmetic surgery from Dr. Manabe over there," Megumi said as she pointed at the doctor. "After that I had to take lessons from Makoto to learn how to speak and act like a woman. I had to change the way I talked, the way I walked, even the way I handled my food. You're lucky you didn't have to do any of that."

Yuna looked back into Megumi's eyes with an irritated glare. "I learned most of what I know the hard way. I went on outings with girls from my school, I went shopping with my new sister, I hung out with guys that did nothing but drool at me behind my back. It took time but I learned how to pass myself off as a girl. So don't say I didn't work at this," Yuna said softly.

Makoto brushed back her purple hair, taking another look at Yuna. "What do you want us to do, Rando? It's not like you can make us forget about you."

Dr. Manabe chuckled softly as he rubbed his chin. "You say that, but my friend Jinnai is quite the inventor. Lately he's been working extensively on high-tech electronics that affect the nervous system, so I'm sure I could ask him to rig something up for us, right Ran-"

Yuna punched the good doctor firmly in the face, sending crashing onto the floor.

"I . . . I guess that's not a viable option . . ." Dr. Manabe groaned as Yuna glared at him.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this," Yuna said, "it'll devastate Rina and ruin her sister's dreams to become a beautician."

Megumi nodded her head slowly. "So, what do you want us to call you? Yuna or Rando?"

The blonde girl sighed as she stood up, looking Megumi in the eye. "Just call me Yuna. It'll be a lot simpler if you remember to call me that.

"How about this," Makoto said as she pulled out her cell phone. "We both come to your house a couple of times a week to help you with your schoolwork. Then, after we finish up with that, we can just talk. Megumi here can help you with any questions you have about passing as a woman, I can help you with your class work, and after we finish up you can share a few of your stories about your new life. Rina shouldn't be asking questions about us if we keep meeting for a few weeks."

"Makoto! Why are you . . ."

"Megumi, how many transgender women do you know?" Makoto whispered into her ear. "Granted, Yuna still considers herself male, but given her lifestyle choices, she's clearly a woman now. I think it'll be healthy for you to meet with her. Besides, she's been all alone this past year, with no one to confide in, except for that perverted doctor. It's not like your grades are doing that well either, so both of you would benefit if you studied together."

"I'm still not sure that . . ."

"Okay, I'll do it," Yuna said, bowed respectfully to her new tutors. "Next Monday we can meet after school. I'll bring my notebooks, and we can talk there."

Makoto nodded, pulling out her cellphone.

"I'll text you her address, phone number and email. Don't worry, you two should get along fine."

As Yuna sat idly her chair, Megumi gave her new student the weakest smile she could manage.

"Alright then, see you after school . . .Yuna."


	5. First Lessons

Chapter 5: First Lessons

Megumi Yoshikawa sat on her bed and leaned against her headboard. Unlike her well-cleaned bed her room was a mess, with books and clothes scattered all around the floor. Megumi gave her room a disapproving stare, then quickly glimpsed out through the blinds of her window as she loosely gripped her phone. She looked for Yuna to approach her home, but there was nothing outside save for the occasional car that drove through her street. The black intercom in her headboard lay silent as Megumi slumped down, and adjusted her t-shirt.

"Um... Miss Megumi?" a young teen asked on the phone, "Are you alright? I was trying to tell you about my week, but . . ."

Megumi instinctively straightened up as she rubbed her eyelids with her hand and brought the phone back up to her lips with the other. "I'm sorry Mikoto, I've just had . . . other things on my mind," she replied to her boyfriend.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"I'm going to be tutoring a girl after school. I met her when I stopped by the Manabe clinic for a check-up and she needs help with her studies."

"Oh, is she a new friend of yours?" Mikoto asked.

Megumi rolled her eyes. "You could say that. Her name's Yuna Kurumi, and she goes to Seika High. It's a couple of miles from my school. She just needs my help with her homework, that's all."

"That's nice of you to do. I think it's good for you to start tutoring. I know you haven't been talking to me much lately, and maybe you'll feel better if you help this girl out."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what your sister said to me. Thanks for the advice though, Mikoto. To be honest, I don't know about this girl, she's just-"

"Megumi, you have a visitor!" she quickly spun towards the intercom in her headboard, noticing the blinking red light on the device. "She's waiting for you in the living room. Come down and greet your guest," her mother said kindly.

Megumi groaned loudly as she tapped the phone against her forehead. She put the phone to her mouth after taking a few seconds to compose herself.

"Mikoto, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to cut this call short. My student's arrived, so I'll talk to you tomorrow. Wear something cute for our date, okay?"

Before her boyfriend could respond, Megumi swiftly hung up and placed her cellphone on her headboard. She headed downstairs with a thin scowl on her face. As she reached the bottom of the stairs Yuna was already there, still in uniform with a bag full of books, chatting with Megumi's mother.

"I never thought my daughter would be the type to tutor other students. She was such a rebel back when she was younger, always hanging out with her gang of friends. Two years later and now she's become a tutor," Mrs. Yoshikawa said, giving her guest a beaming smile.

"I'm sure she'll be an excellent teacher," Yuna said,, giving her a small bow.

"Mom, can you leave Yuna and me alone for a little bit? We have a lot of work we need to do," Megumi said as she walked up to her new student.

"Of course. I was about to go out to get groceries anyway. Your father will be home in a few hours, so you two should have plenty of time to get acquainted."

Mrs. Yoshikawa grabbed her car keys, and with a small wave goodbye to the both of them, she disappeared out the front door. After she left, Megumi beckoned Yuna over to a table in the living room. It was a traditional Japanese table, low to the ground and on a traditional tatami mat. Yuna awkwardly sat down across from her, contorting her legs to fit underneath herself. Megumi knelt down smoothly, and waited for her student to settle in.

"So, what did you bring with you?" Megumi asked.

Yuna dropped her school bag onto the table. It was bulging with notebooks, textbooks, and study guides. Megumi looked at the ugly mess that Yuna had given her, and began to pick through it as carefully as she could.

"So, are you actually going to tutor me, or what? I know we're only meeting because you found out about me, but I really do need help with my schoolwork." Yuna said as she helped Megumi sort through her books.

"You should ask Makoto about that, she's the one who wants me to talk to you."

"What do you mean?"

Megumi suddenly stopped rummaging through the bag. "She told me I should with you since you're . . . so similar to me."

Yuna grumbled loudly, instinctively pulling down her school skirt to cover her legs as best she could. "I know I look like a girl now, but I won't be one forever. I just need to cover for the real Yuna for my senior year and I can get a surgery from that bastard Manabe to make me a man again."

"So you wouldn't consider remaining a woman, then, would you?" Megumi asked.

"No, never!" Yuna yelped as she nervously knocked her bag over and scattered her books everywhere. She took a deep breath, holding the air in her lungs, then let it out slowly. Yuna began to gather up her schoolwork again. "Look, I just don't plan to live like this for the rest of my life. After I complete my senior year, the real Yuna will switch places with me and I'll return to being Rando again. Can we get back to my schoolwork? I'm lagging behind the rest of my classmates, and I can't afford to keep getting bad grades."

Megumi nodded, and helped her pull her books out of her school bag. "How far behind are you? You must have done something right if you haven't been kicked out of school yet." Megumi picked up one of Yuna's notebooks and began to flip through it.

"Um. . . just keep in mind that they aren't thorough. I'm going to fix them up later, I promise."

Megumi slowly read through the scattered scribbles and crude diagrams, trying to make sense of Yuna's method. "Are they. . . all like this?" Megumi flipped through the notes with her fingers, scanning through the massive amount of scrawling. "I can't make any sense of this, it's nonsense. It's like you started out taking notes but turned to guessing about half-way through. Some of these notes even have different classes on the same page!"

"I just cram as much of their lectures into my notes and study them all together when I have a test coming up."

"How the hell did you manage to pass your high school classes before this?!"

"I usually just got some nerd to finish my tests for me. . ."

Megumi glared at Yuna as she blushed a deep red. "It's not like I do that now, that was the old me! W-well, except if you count Professor Kobayakawa. . . but that guy deserves it! He's a pervert!"

Her tutor groaned as she put the notebook down on her lap. "Listen, if you want my help, we're going to have to go through everything. Everything. Even though I have my own work to deal with . . ."

"What do you want me to do?"

Megumi dug around into Yuna's bag and yanked out the few blank sheets of lined paper she could find, as well as a cheap black pen she found half-crushed underneath the mess.

"You said you'd rewrite it. Start with your most recent notes, write out some key definitions and get back to me when you're done."

"W-wait? You're not staying?" Yuna asked as her tutor stood up. "My study sessions with Rina and her friends never turn out well, but at least they tried to help me. I know you're busy, you can't just leave me here."

Megumi sighed, looking back at her with a frown. Her face softened as she looked into Yuna's eyes, looking into her face.

"I guess I shouldn't expect you to know this stuff right away. Look, I have some studying I need to do for my classes. We're both seniors, so most of our classes should overlap. I'll get my notes," Megumi said as she headed upstairs.

After a minute she came downstairs with her own school bag. She placed it alongside Yuna's bag as she pulled out her schoolwork. Over the course of the next few hours the two girls studied for their classes, helping each other out with math equations and chemistry problems. By the time her mother came back, Megumi had managed to help Yuna organize her notes into something coherent.

"Hello you two," Megumi's mother said as she walked back inside, carrying several bags of groceries. Her daughter and her friend smiled at her as she placed her bags down onto the kitchen counter, then coming back to the living room.

"It's good to see that you two are getting along so well. I'll be the kitchen getting dinner ready. Will your friend stay to eat with us?"

"I don't want to impose," Yuna said as she waved her off.

"It's okay, Yuna," Megumi said, turning to her mother. "You can stay to eat with us if you want."

"Then it's settled. I'll prepare some sliced beef for us to eat together."

Her mother returned to the kitchen as the two girls continued to study. Megumi flipped through her binder for notes, listening to Yuna scribble away in her English notebook out.

"What do you plan on doing when you transition back?" Megumi asked, putting down her binder. "You did say Yuna's going to come back after you graduate with Rina. What are you going to do with yourself then?"

"I'll exchange places with Yuna and get Dr. Manabe to give me my old face back. She'll get a high school diploma and a job as a beautician, and I'll get the chance to start dating Rina again as a young man. Hopefully the trade will go smoothly, and I can get my life back in order. It's going to be tough, the fact that my high school diploma will technically belong to Yuna, but I'm sure Manabe will have something worked out for me. At the very least I know he'll do a good job in giving me back the body I lost."

Yuna tapped her finger on the table, searching for the proper English terms for her assignment. As she did so, she noticed Megumi looking at her intensely, her eyes darting from her head, to her arms, and all the way down to her waist.

"What?" Yuna asked, blushing as she crossed her arms. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Megumi shook her head as she continued to look over her friend. "Manabe did a good job with your body. If I didn't know any better, you were born a woman. You shouldn't have to worry about anyone noticing the difference between you and the real Yuna."

Yuna sighed as gestured to her own face, putting on a faux smile.

"Yeah, he's a genius alright. It doesn't help the fact that he's still the biggest tranny chaser I know."

"Still, he covered all his bases. I'm surprised that he managed to make your voice match a girl's pitch. I can't hear anything from your voice that would tell me that you're a man, except from how you talk."

Yuna covered her neck instinctively. "What are you talking about? I haven't had anything done to my voice."

"Why hasn't your voice deepened yet?" Megumi asked. "Mine never did because of my condition, but you-"

"It just takes time for some men. It'll happen soon enough, which is why I need to get that pervert doctor to change my body back before Rina starts noticing," Yuna said as she pulled her English notebook up to her face.

As they continued talking, Megumi felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She rubbed her eyes lazily, letting it ring for a couple of seconds. She gave Yuna a pat on the back before walking out of the room and putting the phone up to her ear.

"Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but I want to know how your tutoring session going. How has Yuna been doing with her schoolwork?" her friend Makoto asked.

"Terribly. I can't read her notes, and her school bag is a complete mess. I'm not really sure what you want me to do with her, she's not going to catch up. I'm just letting her study along with me for now," Megumi replied.

"Listen, I know you won't like this but this Friday, how about you take Yuna out to the mall? Buy her a drink, go shopping. Hell, you could even call it a date if you want."

"I can't do that! You know I have a date with Mikoto that day."

"It'll be fun. Besides, when's the last time you've gone out with someone other than me or my brother?"

Megumi looked back at her student before shaking her head.

"No, I-I really can't. I have my own work to deal with and-"

"Megumi, just do this. Please? For your own sake."

Megumi gripped her bedsheets tight as she squirmed on her bed. She nodded as she placed the phone up to her lips.

"Fine. I'll tell her after she's done studying."

Megumi quickly hung up the phone and placed it back into her pocket, She sat across from Yuna and she closed her eyes, tired from the constant studying. She couldn't help but twitch at the thought that Yuna was still working, scratching away at her notes as she rested.


	6. Learning Experience

Chapter 6: Learning Experience

On a sunny afternoon, Megumi sat quietly at a cafe at the mall, waiting for Mikoto. She had gone home earlier and changed out of her uniform, preferring to wear a simple t-shirt and jeans. It helped her relax outside of that embarrassing sailor fuku she always wore to school, and gave her more confidence when she was away from school. With a quick shower and neatly brushed hair, Megumi was ready to meet her boyfriend. She waved him over to a table as he enthusiastically ran up to her. His soft pink hair and cute smile never failed to perk her up, and this day was no exception.

"It's nice to see you again, Miss Megumi," Mikoto said as he quickly took a seat.

Megumi gave him a tired smile. "It's good to see that the school gave you a little time off to see me. We usually don't see each other until summer break. How did you manage to see me on a school day?"

Mikoto blushed, avoiding his girlfriend's curious eyes. "I was working along with with Toru and Yuujiro this week. I didn't complain this week even though we . . . dressed up as cheerleaders for the sports teams, so for my good behavior the school staff let me leave campus for lunch this Thursday."

"I'm glad that you took the time off to see me," she said, nodding politely.

Mikoto frowned as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes. "To be honest Miss Megumi, I didn't come here just to have another date. I never apologized to you for what I was wearing when you and Makoto came to visit me at the festival. I know it was a big shock for you, and I hope I didn't let you down."

"No, not at all. I'm totally fine with you wearing cute clothes at school. You know, speaking about your Princess duties . . . do you think I could have some of your photos? The ones with you dressed up and all?"

"Huh? Pictures of me as a princess? Why do you want those? Why not normal ones?" Mikoto asked.

"I just..." Megumi whispered. She looked down for a moment, her cheeks blushing a light red. No way in hell was she going to tell him what she wanted to do with those photos. It wasn't her fault that he looked especially alluring in lace.

"Why do I have to have a reason? I just want them that's all. Though it is cute!" Megumi stammered.

_ Mikoto blushed in turn, forcing Megumi to look away. After letting his heart settle, Mikoto cleared his throat._

_ "I'll try to get you a few photos as soon as I can. I'm glad you like what I wear to school, even if I don't enjoy it. By the way, _I really liked the outfit you wore that day. It really suits you."

This time it was Megumi's turn to blush. "Your sister was the one who insisted I wear a matching outfit with her. She said we looked like a cute couple together, even though I hate wearing skirts. I know I've wore one to school every day for the past several years, but I still haven't gotten used to it. Even my student Yuna doesn't like to wear one."

"By the way, how has your tutoring sessions been going with Yuna? Have you been able to get closer to her?" Mikoto asked.

"Um. . . yeah. You could say that," Megumi said as she nervously looked away. "She's been a good student of mine, even if she's a bit roudy in class. Yuna's definitely not a good note taker, and she has trouble focusing in class, but after talking with her for a bit I've found out that she's kind of like me: unsure how to define herself and unsure about her future.

"I'm glad that you've found someone else you can talk to. I know it's been hard for you to reach out to people," Mikoto said.

Megumi nodded as the noises from the cafe swirled around them both. It was a calming feeling for her, being able to sit with her boyfriend without the stress of the world flooding in.

After a few minutes of sipping coffee together, Mikoto checked his cell phone, and stood up from his chair. "I'm sorry, I have to go back. Toru says that we have to help prepare for another event this Friday, so I can't stay any longer."

Megumi nodded her head as she stood up. She began to wave goodbye when Mikoto walked over to her, his body trembling.

"Is it alright if I give you a kiss goodbye? We haven't kissed since the festival," Mikoto said timidly. Megumi nodded nervously as Mikoto closed his eyes. As he leaned forward, she trembled as she watched his face come close and closer. Before their lips could connect, Megumi gently pushed Mikoto away by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I'm just uncomfortable when I'm not leading," she said, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Megumi watched as Mikoto walked away, wondering what outfit he'd be wearing at his school and hoping he'd remember to send her those pictures.

"So, that's your boyfriend. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he was a girl," Yuna said with wide smirk. Megumi turned around to find her new friend standing over her shoulder, still wearing her school uniform.

"Yuna? You're here early," Megumi said. She then quickly beckoned to her boyfriend.

"Mikoto, I want you to meet somebody," Megumi said, waving over to him. He quickly ran back while Megumi gestured towards her guest.

"This is my student, Yuna Kurumi. She's been having a little trouble at school, but I'm trying to straighten her out."

Yuna smiled at Mikoto. "You're a little feminine for a guy, aren't you? For a second I thought she was going out with Makoto or something."

"H-hey, I'm plenty masculine! I just need to work on it a little more, that's all."

Yuna laughed. "I'm just playing with you. I have to say, you're one lucky guy. Your girlfriend's a great tutor for helping me out when I really didn't think I deserved it."

"I know. You're in good hands with Miss Megumi. Please don't cause too much trouble for her, okay?"

Yuna laughed again. "I'll try not to."

Megumi turned to Mikoto, giving him her heartwarming smile. "Good luck with your school activities!"

Mikoto gave her girlfriend a tired smile, before beginning his trek back to his school dorm. After seeing her date off, Megumi turned back to Yuna, who smiled as she approached her.

"So, you have a boyfriend?" Yuna asked as she sat down across from

Megumi smirked as she leaned towards her. "Yeah, we've been dating for a couple of years, he's Makoto's little brother. MIkoto's only a little bit taller than me and not that self-confident but he's a good guy to be with."

"Does he know that you used to be, y'know, a guy?" Yuna asked as she scratched her head.

"Yeah, he's known since we've started dating since he is related to my best friend. Unlike you, almost everyone at my school knows I used to be a guy, so even if he didn't know he would have found out eventually. He's okay with it."

Yuna adjusted her chair nervously, sliding the feet on the ground with a loud scraping noise. Perhaps it was all the bad experiences with her male classmates hitting on her, but the idea of going out with a man sent a cold chill through her veins, especially with Manabe's lecherous smile lurking in her nightmares.

"Um...W-what's it like, dating a boy?"

Megumi tapped her chin with her finger. "Mikoto is pretty feminine himself, so I don't really know if there is a difference. He's cute and shy, and doesn't feel overbearing at all. He even dresses up with his friends as gothic lolitas to entertain his high school classmates as part of a school tradition. But don't tell anyone else about this, he'd be really embarrassed if he found out I talked about his little secret."

The young girl smiled fondly as she looked out the window and towards the clear blue sky. "I think what I like most about him is the fact that he accepts me for who I am, former guy and all. While my parents really pushed me to transition and my former friends wouldn't stop harassing me, Mikoto allowed me to take my time and be who I want to be. That's why he's my boyfriend."

"Do you see him very often?"

"He dorms at Fujimori Academy, so I really don't see him much until the summer break. We mainly keep in touch through phone calls but I make time for dates every once in a while. His sister Makoto is the one I usually hang out with, but she's the one who introduced me to him. I know Mikoto looks a lot like her, but she's the opposite of him in terms of personality. She likes to take charge and pushes me to open up as a woman, unlike my boyfriend. They're both close to me in their own way, but Mikoto doesn't get along with her that well."

"Maybe he thinks she'll take you away from him," Yuna said, letting out a small laugh.

Yuna smirked, not thinking much of her lame joke until she noticed Megumi look away for a second as she sipped her tea.

"Yeah, he's a little jealous of my relationship with Makoto," she said as she put down her cup. "She's always been close to me, especially when I retook freshman year. She promised to always look after me, and I'm grateful for it, but . . . she's just a good friend of mine. But enough about me, have you ever had a romantic relationship with anyone?"

Yuna blushed, sipping down her drink as she avoided Megumi's gaze. "When I was a guy, I was... a little less than friendly. Between the fights with the Judo club and the constant loitering around the city, girls thought I was too scary or too violent to consider asking out. The only one who paid any attention to me was Rina."

Megumi smiled. "You really love her, don't you?"

Yuna sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, but it's not like I can ask her out now. She only thinks of me as her confident, cool twin sister, not a potential lover. And if I let her know who I really am, she'll never forgive me. It doesn't help the fact that I still don't know how to deal with all the feminine stuff she asks me to do."

"So, you never really had anyone to get you through your transition?" Megumi asked. "I can't imagine Manabe helping you with your new life."

"He and his associate gave me devices to disguise myself, not lessons on feminine manners. Manabe did his best to help me out, but he was usually more interested in trying to get me to get a full sex change rather than actually helping me change my behavior. I guess Yuna was already kinda wild, so I had some leeway with mistakes, but I did have some close calls. I mostly learned what to do from trial and error," Yuna said as she leaned back in her chair.

"Don't lean back so much," Megumi said, waving over to her. "Your panties. . ."

Yuna yelped as she lowered her chair. She blushed, looking over at her friend who was busy laughing at her expense.

"See? I haven't gotten used to this skirt," she said, trying to push her short skirt down.

"Don't worry, I've had to wear one for the last two years, and I still haven't gotten used it," Megumi said, letting out a small chuckle. "Here, why don't I give you a couple pointers? You need to learn how to hold yourself properly."

Megumi sat up tall in her chair. "Don't slouch, keep your shoulders even and your head up." Yuna copied her, with a little bit of pointers from Megumi, she quickly had a proper posture for sitting.

"Very good. Now, here's something Makoto taught me for my freshman year." Megumi stood up,then gave Yuna a formal bow, keeping her head down while radiating an aura of refined beauty. "Notice how I keep myself perfectly straight?" Megumi asked, keeping herself as still as possible. "My legs are bent slightly inward to complete a formal stance. Then, I keep a polite yet wistful smile on my face with just a little bit of blush on my cheeks. That's how you act like a traditional Japanese beauty." Sighing a little, she sat back down. "I don't particularly like doing it, but it helps sell the whole proper Japanese girl look that everyone goes crazy for." Megumi gestured towards her student. "Now you try."

Yuna stood up, hoping that her feminine charms would be enough to sell the pose.

"H-How's this?"

Megumi examined her, checking her from top to bottom.

"Hm. The smile is good, but your posture seems a little lacking."

"Like this?" Yuna said, straightening herself up.

"No, it still isn't quite right." Megumi stood up in her chair, walking towards her student. "I guess I'll just have to show you. Here, hold yourself like this." Megumi walked behind her student and guided Yuna by the waist. "See, small breaths, and lean forward a little."

*bmp-bmp*

C_alm down, she used to be a guy, remember! Get a hold of yourself!_ she frantically thought as she tried to concentrate on her posture.

"Hey, you're starting to sweat. You alright?" Megumi asked, looking right into Yuna's eyes.

"Y-yup, totally fine! Anyway, am I doing it right now?" she asked, hoping Megumi would let go of her waist before she had a heart attack.

"Yeah, you're good. Just make sure you work on standing still. You fidget around too much for your pose to look elegant enough," Megumi said, letting go over her waist.

Yuna took in a deep breath of air as she looked back at Megumi.

"Alright, I think this little date has gone on for long enough. I need to get back to Rina before she starts wondering why I'm not at home studying for an upcoming quiz next Tuesday," she said as rose from the table. Megumi rose up too, pushing in her chair.

"I'll see you next week," Megumi said as she waved Yuna off. "Just remember to working on organizing your notes. Good luck with your test."

The two girls waved goodbye to each other as they headed their separate ways. Yuna shuddered as she looked back at Megumi, wondering how long she could keep up the constant assaults on her masculinity. Still, she thought, if she had to learn how to be a woman, Megumi was the girl to go to.


	7. The truth about Rando

Chapter 7: The Truth About Rando

Yuna approached the entrance to her school with a weary face. She had spent a good deal of the night to study with her new tutor. Megumi had pointed out several good study habits for note taking and had turned her notebook into something legible rather than the complete mess it was before. Still, Yuna knew that one study session wouldn't be enough to get her life back on track. She walked through the gates, hoping that her time as Rina's twin wouldn't be for much longer.

"Yuna!" A very energetic girl came out from behind a nearby tree and slammed into Yuna, tackling her to the ground, ending any hopes of an uneventful day.

"That's... a hell of a way to say hello," Yuna moaned while she laid on the pavement with a young schoolgirl atop her. "Nozomi, it's... good to see you but we could please stop meeting like this? I spent this whole weekend studying, and I don't have the energy to deal with a full on tackle. Is there something you wanted from me?"

"You don't know? Hmph." Nozomi said, pouted as she sat on her back. "I know you've been busy studying for the last few weeks, but missing my birthday party was just cruel."

"I-I'm really sorry about that, I have all this studying I need to do and I forgot to tell you that I couldn't go. If you have something else planned I'll make the time to come, just tell me when and where it's happening."

"You promise?" the young girl said as she pushed on Yuna's back.

"P-promise," Yuna said as her back ached with pain. Nozomi got off her, allowing her to catch her breath.

"I'll contact your sister with the details later today. I'll have my staff plan out an excellent new party, one that I'm sure we'll both enjoy. Don't worry, I'll make sure you keep your promise. Have a good week, Yuna," Nozomi said as she headed off with the other students.

The sore blonde schoolgirl continued through the entrance and exchanged her outdoor shoes for her indoor pair at her locker, rubbing her tired eyes as she pulled on her school shoes. After that she walked through the bustling halls, slowly making her way to class. Before reaching the classroom, Yuna's old acquaintance and friend Natsuo Kobayashi stopped her, giving her a cute smile as she approached her.

"Natsuo," Yuna sighed, "it's great to see yo-"

"So, how'd you like Nozomi's welcome today?" the young redhaired girl asked, giving out a short laugh.

"I can still feel her knees digging into my back," Yuna said as she rubbed her spine. "I can't think about her right now, I have to work on my grades. I've been seeing this tutor, so she should help me get the grades I need to graduate high school."

"Tutor? When did you get a tutor?"

Yuna kept heading to her class, passing by her fellow students as she walked with Natsuo.

"I met her a few days ago. It's a little complicated, but she's a lot like me. She . . . knows about me, too."

"She's not going to tell anyone, is she?"

"No, no, she's fine. Listen, right now I need to get to class. I'm tired enough as it as without all these distractions."

"Remember, we have an in-class assignment for today," Natsuo said as they continued walking.

Yuna walked through the classroom door, determined to see through the rest of the day. She opened her bag and reached in for her textbook, only to find that she had left it and her notebook at home. She grit her teeth as she threw the bag onto the floor, ready to slam her fist into her desk to get out the stress.

"Good morning class," Miwa Masuko said as she entered the classroom. Yuna groaned as she stood up for her teacher. Even if she was her cousin, Yuna knew that Miwa wouldn't show her any favoritism in class. She sighed, knowing only one way out of the predicament she found herself in.

"Miss Masuko, I'm not feeling very well," Yuna said as she clutched her head.

"Yuna? If you were sick, you could have told me something back at home," Masuko said, taking a good look at her cousin. "I'll allow you to leave for the day, but I'll expect you to make up the classwork as homework for tomorrow."

Yuna nodded, shouldering her bag. She prayed that Manabe was still at his clinic, ready to talk as she headed out the classroom door.

The young girl walked to Manabe's clinic mid-afternoon with a school bag full of her books slung on her shoulder. As the sun beat down over head she thought back to her tutoring session the other day. Her schoolwork combined with all the stress of passing as a young schoolgirl put her in an endless state of migraines and headaches. Yuna was beginning to understand some basic concepts, but she worried that it wouldn't be enough to raise her borderline passing grades. She shouldered her bag as she entered the bright white clinic on the street.

As she entered Manabe's office, she noticed the doctor slumped over his desk. His head was down, his eyes focused on a piece of paper in front of him. Yuna threw her bag on the floor, startling him as he looked up.

"Y-Yuna? What are you doing here?" he asked as he folding up the paper and put it in his doctor's coat.

"I was wondering if you had time to talk to me about my future surgery. It's already the second half of my senior year, and I need to know if you've planned out my transition back yet."

Manabe smiled. "I already told you, I can't bear the thought of bringing a scalpel to your new face. Have you thought about staying the way you are? You could always use the synthetic mask I made for you if you feel like you need to talk to Rina that way."

"Using a rubber mask all my life won't be enough. I'll probably use it again to calm Rina down, but I need to know that you can bring me back. My life isn't getting any easier or any less complicated, and I need to know that you're doing everything you can to help me out. It's your fault I look like this," Yuna said as she approached Manabe.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I've been planning your operation for next spring. All you need to figure out is how you're going to pay for the surgery. It is expensive, you know."

"It's not just the price that's been bothering me. Megumi brought up some questions that I haven't really thought about since I got my new face. Did you do something to me after the accident to make me more feminine? I know I had to have skin grafts to get rid those burns on my body, but I should have grown some body hair right? I also thought my voice would have been deeper by now. I should have at least grown in . . . well . . . certain ways." Yuna cleared her throat loudly after reflexively looking below her waist." Look, I don't care what kind of sick things you did to make my body live up to your perverted ideals, I just want to know that you have a way to fix me back up."

Her doctor shook his head as he flipped through a thick stack of papers on his desk. "I can't talk about this right now, not until I finalize the details to your surgery. Maybe after you finish the school year we'll have some time to talk about this."

Yuna shook her head. "What about now? Manabe, if there's something I need to know, say it. It's been over two years since that accident, and I don't want to live like this forever."

The surgeon continued to fill out his medical forms, scratching away at them with his black pen. "I didn't do anything strange to your body. Listen, I'll explain what will happen at the end of your school year," he said, filing away more of his paperwork.

"Manabe, what aren't you telling me?" Yuna asked.

The doctor continued to keep his back to her, forcing her to spin his chair around.

"Is there something wrong with my body that I need to know about?"

Manabe took his glasses off and rubbed his eyelids. Yuna couldn't help but think that his face looked so weary from just a moment ago.

"Rando, why do _you_ think your voice can pass for Yuna's or why you haven't grown facial hair?" he said as he pulled out his piece of paper from his pocket.

Yuna wrung her hands as she tried to answer. "I just thought I have a late puberty."

"What about your height?"

Yuna instinctively straightened up. "So? A lot of guys don't reach their full height until they get older."

"You're already nineteen years old, Rando. You should have had a growth spurt by now."

Manabe handed the paper over to her. Yuna looked it over, her eyes narrowing as she read each line.

". . . ultimately, we cannot grant your request for t_ranssphenoidal surgery __for __an __anonymous patient, least of all with the budget you have asked for __and the lack of proper equipment at your private clinic__. We require at least two doctors for consultation __as well as one CT specialist__and proper identification of the patient in question. Please respond within__-"_

_ "Manabe, what the hell is this?" __Yuna asked, trembling as she held the paper in her hand._

The doctor took back his letter, placing it on his desk. He then slowly opened a drawer, and pulled out a crumpled white folder. He opened it and drew out a thick notebook on his patient's medical files. He opened it, and pulled out a paper with x-rays on them.

"After the accident, I helped restore your entire body, not just your face. When they dropped you off at my clinic, the paramedics said you wouldn't make it. It took me 18 hours in surgery to stabilize you, and a month before your body was safe enough from infection or septic shock for me to start rebuilding your physical features. During that month I looked for damage done to your internal organs, but you seeemed find for the most part. After two months you were well enough to the point where I could give you a CAT scan. I found this," Manabe said, quietly handing Yuna a colored photo. It showed a highlighted area of the brain, near the base.

"I don't understand," Yuna said as she handed the photo back.

"Your pituitary gland was badly damaged during the crash. Your head slammed against the side of the bus when it went over the cliff. It's why you were in a coma for a year. You somehow managed to recover from your coma, but your pituitary gland hasn't been the same. It's skewed the regulation of hormones within your body. I stabilized it using the techniques I used on Megumi, but-"

"What are you saying Manabe?" Yuna asked, trembling as Manabe turned around.

"I'm sorry Rando. Your body won't be the same as it was before the accident. I've been arranging for a the equipment for the surgery to be brought here but even if I manage to get approval for the surgery I can't undo the effects of the damage on your body. Not immediately and not through surgery alone. I'm not even sure that-"

Yuna reached out and pulled Manabe up by the collar, yanking him out of the chair. She held him up in the air as she ground her teeth in rage.

"Tell me you can still give me what you promised me!" Yuna yelled, slamming Manabe into the wall. "Tell me you can still fix me!"

"H-hormone therapy could help give you the body you want," Manabe said as he tried to breathe. "That's something that my colleague Dr. Suzuki discussed with Megumi, but you need to accept that hormones won't completely cure your condition. Hormones might be able to give you facial hair but I can't change the basic structure of your body. I-I can't rebuild your bones or completely rearrange your muscle tone. I'm a good plastic surgeon, but I'm not that good.

She tightened her grip on his collar, gritting her teeth as she lifted him up even further.. Manabe closed his eyes as he prepared himself for his punishment. Instead, Yuna simply let him go, causing him to stumble.

"I guess I should just accept it then, huh? I'm a woman. It's all I'll ever be."

"Rando . . ." Manabe said, but before he could stop her, Yuna walked out the door. Manabe picked her bag off the floor as he pushed aside his papers. He placed it on his desk as he slumped back into his chair.

Yuna approached her home as calmly as she could. She combed her hair back with her hand, but couldn't properly steady herself to prevent her bangs from getting into her eyes. As she opened the door, Rina gave her an enthusiastic hug. Yuna slowly pushed her back and worked up a smile as she greeted her sister.

"What is it, Rina?"

"It's Nozomi. She came up to me after school today and told me she was planning another party. Won't that be fun?"

"I'm not the party type," Yuna said as she tried to push past her.

Rina pouted, her eyes glistening as she pulled at her sister's arm. "I know you haven't been the same since you ran away, but you did miss her birthday party a couple weeks ago.. We can even shop for a present before we go."

Her twin tried to pull away again, gently pushing against Rina's hand. She gently tightened her hold on her sister's arm.

"I need to focus on raising my grades. She's a nice girl, but I don't think I should spend time with her right now. You remember how obsessive she can be," Yuna said.

"It's not just about her. We haven't gotten close to one another since our senior class trip. Remember the spa? That was fun, right? We hadn't bathed together in years, and you helped me with my hair?"

Met with silence, Rina snuggled in close to her twin. Yuna could barely breath as she felt Rina's soft hair resting on her shoulder.

"I have a hard time remembering that night. Please, I don't feel like talking about it right now. I just want to rest."

"How about later on, when I helped you wash the dishes? I slipped and fell over on you and my lips grazed against yours. You were so embarrassed about that-"

Yuna pushed away from her hard, causing Rina to stumble and catch herself on the nearby sofa. "I-I can't do this with you, not now! Not ever!" Yuna shouted.

"What's wrong, big sis?" Rina asked as her sister headed towards the front door.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't fix this," Yuna said under her breath as she rushed out the door.

Rina followed her out into the street but could only watch Yuna round a corner in the distance. She headed back inside and into the kitchen, plucking up the phone from the receiver. She paced the floor after she dialed, waiting for the call to go through.

"Hello? It's Rina, Yuna's sister. I'm sorry for calling you so late but . . . I'm sorry. I'm sorry to bother you, but it's an emergency. If you could please . . ." Rina readjusted the phone, pushing it closer to her mouth. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with your boyfriend, but my sister needs help. I don't know what's gotten into her today, but she's run away. I don't know where she's going. No, I haven't called Natsuo. She knows Yuna a little better, but she's visiting her uncle right now. I thought since you're her tutor . . . please, if you could just help me find her."

On the other end of the line, Megumi nodded as she sat on her bed.

"I'll be over there to help you out in fifteen minutes. Just be ready to explain to me what happened."

The young woman put her phone away and growled as she pulled on a denim jacket from her closet. She sped out the door, rushing past her parents walking up the stairs.

"Megumi? We were just about to call you down for dinner," her father said.

"I'm sorry. Something's come up with the student I'm tutoring. I'll be back late, so put my dinner in the fridge," she said as she pulled on her shoes near the front door. She ran through the doorway, heading straight towards the nearest bus stop.


	8. Comfort

Chapter 8: Comfort

Megumi marched towards the Kurumi house, determined to get her visit over as quickly as possible. She had been talking to her boyfriend about his day at school, particularly the alluring parts about his duties as a Princess. Before he could talk in detail about the embarrassing nurse's outfit he had to wear, Megumi received a call from her student's sister. Megumi was forced to end her conversation with Mikoto early as Rina whined about her "sister" and how she ran away again. Megumi rapped her knuckles against the door as she wondered why she agreed to tutor her in the first place.

"Megumi?" Rina asked as she opened the door. "It's good that you came. Something's happened with my sister."

"It's no problem. She's my student, after all," she said with a tired smile. "So, what happened with Yuna?"

"This morning she got sick during our first class and had to go to the clinic. After she got back home, I told her about going to the beach this weekend for a friend's party. She seemed really out out of it, and I tried to talk to her about it. She started yelling at me and ran out the front door. I tried to follow her but she was too fast."

"What do you want me to do?"  
"If you could, please find Yuna for me. I think she's somewhere around our neighborhood, but I don't know exactly where."

Megumi groaned as she looked down the empty street. "Are you going to come with me?" she asked. "I'm not familiar with the neighborhood, and it would help me find your sister faster."

Rina slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think she'd like it if she saw me right now. I want to give her a little space, to let her calm down."

"Of course, of course. I'll go and find your sister for you. I'm her tutor after all, that's my job," Megumi said with audible sigh.

Rina bowed. "Thank you so much. Bring her back safe, okay?"

As Rina closed the door, Megumi began to walk down the street, lazily looking around for Yuna. She looked into neighbor's yards and driveways, but there was no sign of Yuna. She didn't want to bother the neighbors with her search, so Megumi decided not to ask them for assistance. Megumi continued wandering around for a few minutes until she noticed something strange in an abandoned lot across the street. She noticed the figure of a girl laying down on the ground, her uniform was caked with dirt. Megumi looked around quickly to check if anyone was watching before calling out to her.

"Yuna?" Megumi asked as she approached the young woman. Yuna rubbed her arm, trembling as tears dripped down her cheeks.

"Damn it! Fuck!" Yuna muttered as she tried to cover up her reddened eyes with her hand.

"Are you doing okay, Rando?"

"How the hell does it look like I'm doing? You just had to keep asking questions. Why couldn't you just mind your own business?"

"What happened?"

"I talked to Manabe about my condition," she said, sitting up. "He said I had permanent damage from the bus crash I was in. He told me me that my body doesn't have the hormones I need for my body to develop right. I can't get facial hair, or an Adam's apple, or a deeper voice. He can't find the equipment, the doctors, or the money right now to give me my body back. I don't know if he'll ever find it. If you hadn't brought it up during our conversation, I wouldn't have had to know about this," Yuna said as she glared at her tutor.

"You sound like me before I transitioned. Listen, you were going to find out eventually," Megumi said. "Even if I didn't tell you, he would have brought it up before your surgery."

"That doesn't give him the right to lie to me!"

Megumi leaned down and looked into Yuna's tired eyes, taking care not to get too close. "I chose to become who I am after I found out that I was really a woman, but I'm not going to lie to you, I'm still struggling with it. Like I told my boyfriend, it's a road I had to travel myself. Still, it doesn't mean you have to go it alone either," Megumi said as she offered her hand to Yuna. Her tired student looked at it for a moment before firmly grasping it. After lifting her up, Megumi took another look at the dirty lot they were standing in. She could tell from the sign in front and the remnants of piping in the ground that a house used to stand where they were now.

"Why did you come here?"

Yuna stared blankly at the realtor's sign still standing at the lot entrance. "This . . . this was my home. My real home. I didn't know where else to go. My family left after my accident, and the people who owned the property bulldozed the property."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know. I spent so much time worrying about my schoolwork and keeping up with Rina that I haven't spent any time finding them.

"Don't you want to see them again?" Megumi asked.

"My brother and I never got along, my father was a workaholic, and my mother . . . Look, I'd rather not talk about them right now, I just . . . I wasn't that close with them to begin with."

"Close or not, they're still your family. It's not like I was close to my folks before I become who I am, but I think my transition helped them connect with me. You can't pretend like they don't exist, even if you don't want to talk about it."

"I know," Yuna said, wiping her face with her hand.

The two girls stood for a good minute in silence before one of them spoke again. Megumi couldn't help but think back to her own family, wondering how she could have handled transitioning all by herself. Without her father there to encourage her and her mother guiding her through the process she knew wouldn't have lasted for as long as she did. After letting Yuna rest for a while, Megumi gave her a nudge on the shoulder.

"Rina's probably worried sick about you. Come on," Megumi said, leading Yuna back to her new home, and her new family.

* * *

Rina watched as her twin sister came through the front door, led by her tutor. She swung her arms around Yuna, causing her to yelp nervously.

"I was so worried, big sis! Don't do that again, okay?" Rina said as she squeezed her sister tight.

"Don't worry about me, Megumi was here to help me out. I'm sorry about what happened earlier, I'm just . . . I'm just dealing with some personal problems and I took it out on you. I promise, I'll make it up to you later," Yuna said as she gave her a pat on the back.

Rina let go over her sister as Yuna took a seat in a chair in the living room. She gave her sister a cute smile as she leaned over her chair.

"Let me get you some water. Then you can rest, okay sis?"

Yuna watched Rina go to the kitchen as Megumi stood in front of her, arms crossed.

"Do you want to talk? Like I said, I think I know what you're going through. I can help you with-"

Yuna waved her hand. "No, no. I'll be fine, I just . . . thanks. It's nice to know someone's there to help me out."

Megumi leaned against Yuna's chair, looking over the tired girl.

"It's rough, adjusting to your new life. Hell, every now and then I wake up thinking I'm still Kei Yoshikawa, the school pretty boy. It's been a tough three years, but I think I'm at peace with the fact that I'm Megumi Yoshikawa now, and that I'm a woman. I also accept the fact that I'll always be a bit of a troublemaker and a tomboy. If you want to be the-" Megumi swiveled her head around quickly, making sure Rina wasn't near by, "_man_ that you want to be, you need to accept that you look feminine now, and it doesn't have to hold you back. Being a woman on the outside doesn't mean you're a woman on the inside. Only if you want to be one."

"Thanks for the advice," Yuna said as she leaned back into her chair. "I think I get what you're saying. I think I'll focus on my studies right now and work on getting my operation when the time comes. I'm definitely not going to be a tranny all my life," she said, closing her eyes as she leaned back.

Her tutor started tightening her hands on the chair, scrunching up the fabric. Before Yuna could begin to relax, her tutor smacked her on the top of the head as hard as she could.

"What the hell?" she gasped out as clutched the bruise.

"Where do you get off calling me a tranny? At least I'm not a pervert who pretended to be a girl's twin sister and lived in her house for a year," she whispered into Yuna's ear, giving her a deathly glare. "You really should be using words like that, especially since we're both in a similar position."

"Sorry, sorry," Yuna said as she rubbed her head. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm still learning about all this transition stuff . . . anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm not giving up," she said as she leaned back again.

Megumi watched Yuna try to relax in her chair, knowing that she was still thinking about the news she received. Tired of watching Yuna continue to mope, she decided to wrap her arms around Yuna from behind.

"M-Megumi?" Yuna stammered. She looked up to find her tutor smiling down on her, caressing her waist.

"You're a good guy, Rando, even if you are a little insensitive. I know I said it already, and I know a _man_ like you doesn't need sympathy from a _girl_ like me but it's going to be alright. No matter what happens, you'll pull through. Just make sure you talk with me, okay?" she asked, giving her a warm smile as she continued her embrace.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk with you. You don't need to get so touchy-feely." Yuna said. She put her hands on Megumi's arms, gently holding them as Megumi softly tightened her grip.

"Heh . . . you're kinda cute when you're shy," Megumi said as she leaned against Yuna body, resting her chin on her head.

"Big sis?" Rina asked. The two girls looked behind them to find Rina carrying several glasses of water on a tray.

"I-It's not what it looks like," Yuna said as she tried to pull away. "She's just . . . helping me feel better. Right, Megumi?"

"That's right," she said, wrapping her arms even tighter across Yuna's waist as she nuzzled her head against her shoulder. "I'm just making her feel _all_ better."

"E-excuse me while I get more water," Rina said, slamming the tray down onto the table. Yuna barely managed to grasp onto the two glasses before they tipped over.

"What the hell was that about?" Yuna asked.

Megumi laughed as she let go of her, wiping her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. Did you see the look on her face?"

Yuna groaned, waving her off. "Thanks for the joke. Now, can you leave me to study? I have work I need to do.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your work. Have a good night, Yuna," Megumi said as she walked towards the door.

"Megumi?"

"Hm?" she said, turning around.

". . . thanks," Yuna said, giving her a small nod.

Megumi left the Kurumi household, confident that her student was stable enough to leave alone. As she walked home, she couldn't help but think about what Yuna has said about her struggles. For all of her troubles, Megumi had friends and family to help guide her through the process, unlike Yuna who was alone to struggle herself. She realized that Yuna really was a fighter, both physically and mentally.


	9. A New Day

Chapter 9: A new day

Yuna woke up Monday morning feeling unusually refreshed. Over the course of the next few weeks, she studied alongside Megumi, compiling notes for class and working on essays together. It was boring to study but Megumi had managed to make it interesting by talking her daily life and her own problems at school. She told her how she was outed and how she managed to cope with being a transgender woman despite her classmates watching her every move. Despite Megumi's struggles, she had someone she loved who knew who she was, had a family who supported her, and a best friend who supported her. Megumi seemed like she was having a great life in comparison to Yuna's. However, Yuna still couldn't bear to talk about her current condition. When Megumi asked how she was doing, she would only sigh and say that Manabe needed to work faster. As she rubbed her eyes, she hoped that her day would go better than than the last

The blonde girl pulled off her pajamas and rushed into the shower as quickly as possible, eager to make sure the day wasn't wasted. After drying off and changing into her school uniform she headed downstairs, school bag in hand. Yuna ignored her parent's calls for breakfast and headed out the door instead, knowing they would give her a lecture about the importance of eating in the morning as soon as she returned home.

As Yuna passed through the crowd of students at the entrance to her school, she noticed that the students would sneak glances at her while they thought she wasn't looking. Granted, she had a reputation for being the tough girl on campus, but usually when she saw people talking about her they weren't so sneaky about it. She walked past several girls, gritting her teeth as she listened to the sound of whispering and giggling.

After passing by more than a dozen of her classmates chatting behind her back, Yuna couldn't bear it anymore. She gave them a fierce scowl, sending them running down the hallway. When she finally reached the classroom, she sat down at her desk, hoping that her day would be over soon. Unfortunately for her, she noticed that her friends at school were gathering around her desk. She noticed how each one avoided her eye line and had a nervous smile plastered on their face. Her classmates Yukie and Midori were timid but cheerful while Keiko seemed a little upset.

"H-hey, Yuna," Yukie said as she scratched her head. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, how about you?"

"It's been okay, but . . . um . . . we were wondering if some of the rumors we heard were true."

"What rumors?"  
"Well," her friend said as she nervously rubbed her arms, "the rumor that you . . . maybe . . . are going out with someone. A . . . female someone."

"Who the hell told you that?

Midori scratched her head. "Well . . . Rina called us, asking if we ever walked into a romantic situation between two women. She told me she saw your tutor holding you tight and I . . . might have said something to a girl before class, and . . ."

"And now the whole school knows about it. . . " Yuna groaned. Why the hell would you believe that?"

"Well, you haven't had a crush on a single boy since you've come here and you are into athletics. I thought if you were going out with someone, it would be with Natsuo. She does like being near you," said Midori.

"Don't you mean her sister? Rina talks so much about her twin sister, anyone would think the you of two were an item," Yukie said, giving out a small laugh before being cut short by Midori's elbow.

"She's just a tutor I've been seeing lately. She's helping me with my homework and helping me keep my grades up. Besides, if I was ever dating anyone I'd make sure I'd tell Rina herself."

"That's good to know. After all, you shouldn't be going out with strangers you barely know," Keiko muttered while shaking nervously.

Yukie nudged her with her elbow. "Don't listen to Keiko. Even if you were dating a girl we don't know, we'd support you."

Midori placed her hand on Yuna's shoulder. "That's right. We'll always be here for you and your sister. You're our friends, you know. Even if you like girls." Yukie and Midori left, followed shortly by Keiko who gave her a lingering glace.

After a long lecture from the teacher on biology and the human anatomy, Yuna met up with Rina for lunch in an empty classroom, away from the prying eyes of the other students. As Yuna ate the prepacked meal she bought the day before, her twin gave her a somber smile.

"I'm sorry I gave my friends the wrong impression about you and Megumi, big sis. I was just surprised, that's all."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just . . . I'm not sure I like it, you getting tutored by Megumi all the time. It means we won't have to time to talk like we used to."

"I'll find time to take you out somewhere, good grades or bad grades. You don't need to worry about me running away again or leaving you alone.."

"I understand that. I just hope that you won't forget to talk to me if you need help."

"Miss Yuna!" A hyperactive Nozomi threw open the door and slammed into Yuna, pinning her onto the ground "What's this I hear about a girlfriend? I was worried you might be straight or one of those hussies that hang around you would take you away. Instead, you already another girl on the side, didn't you?"

"Could you get off me for a 'sec, Nozomi?" Yuna asked as she pushed the young girl away.

Getting up and looking around, Yuna noticed her twin had used the commotion to disappear out into the hallway. She turned back to her hyperactive stalker, hoping to calm her down.

"I'm not dating anyone, okay? I'm just seeing a tutor that's going to help keep my grades up. She's just a good friend, that's all."

Pouting, the kendo girl kicked at the ground. "It still would have been nice if you had told me about her. I've been trying to get closer to you for your senior year, but you always push me away. I've almost finished planning out a new party for my friends to attend, but now I'm not sure I want to go through with it. I even picked out some outfits for you to wear. . ."

Yuna sighed, already regretting what she was about to say. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll go to your party."

Nozomi brightened up instantly, leaping up into the air. "Yay! Trust me, you won't regret it. I'll send out the invitations as soon as I can, and I'll tell the party planners to work overtime to get everything ready for the big day. It'll all be ready for you this weekend, a girl's only event for you and all our friends. And don't worry Yuna," she said while leaning on Yuna's shoulder, "I won't try to steal your heart . . ."

Watching Nozomi scamper away, Yuna groaned. She quietly ate her lunch as Rina quietly entered back into the room.

"It's going to be alright, just keep your chin up," Rina said with a smile. "A party could help you relax a little after this year's midterms."

Yuna sighed bitterly as she continued to eat her lunch. Parties were never her style, and she knew a party with Nozomi would be more like a chore rather than a relaxing vacation. Still, she had an image to keep, and refusing an invitation from her would only invite more and more desperate attempts to win her favor.

* * *

"How was your day?" Megumi said. The two girls sat in Yuna's bedroom, a pile of books surrounding them as they studied at a small table in her room. Yuna set aside her textbook as she looked back at her tutor, who was busy reviewing an assignment that had been handed back in class.

"How the hell do you think my day went? Rina talked to her classmates about what you did to me, and now a rumor's going around about the two of us being an item. The real Yuna's going to beat the crap out of me if she finds out about this."

"I didn't mean for that to happen, I was just teasing you."

"I know you were, but I have a reputation to keep, especially when Yuna returns at the end of the year. They'll get over in a few days, so I guess today wasn't so bad, especially compared to the crap I've had to go through last year. At most, it'll be a side note in my diary."

"You keep a diary?" Megumi asked.

"Yeah, it helps me keep track of what happens in my life. Ever since the accident, it's been hell trying to keep track of who knows what and what I'm supposed to know as Rina's sister, so keeping a diary is the only way for me to make sense of my life."

"What if your family finds it?"

Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "I've keep my diary in plain sight for over a year, so I don't think need to worry about my gentle, trusting twin sister reading it. And Mr. and Mrs. Kurumi aren't the prying type so, I think I'm safe for now."

Yuna pouted, thinking for a moment. "You know, come to think of it, I've never asked you about your family. What is your family like, Megumi?"

Megumi rested her chin on her hand, propping herself on the table. "My dad and I didn't get along very well. We fought all the time, and I didn't understand why he couldn't connect with me. It's only after I found out about my condition that he told me about his abusive childhood. We decided to work together as a family to start over, so we went back to the hospital so my doctor could plan out my surgery with Manabe. Now my mom and dad support me as their daughter. It's been going alright, but they often get too busy with taking care of the household and with work to really talk with me."

Yuna sighed. "At least you have a family. My mother, my brother, and my father all left town after I died. I haven't seen them since the morning I got on the bus that got my new face. Masako, Masaji, Masao, I can barely remember their names. We never got along that well, especially since I caused so much trouble for them with my karate club. I won awards at tournaments, but they only showed up a couple of times to congratulate me. I think they expected me to win, but were tired of seeing me beat the crap out of other people."

"Have you tried to contact them?"

Yuna turned away, her head drooping down as she examined the grain of the wood table. "We weren't really close. It sounds like your parents were a lot like mine, except we never got to reconcile. My brother was always scared that I was going to snap his head off one day, so he stayed away from me as much as possible, same with my parents. I wouldn't ever hurt them, but I got the impression that they thought I was going to snap one day. I'm not sure how they'd react to knowing their son is still alive."

Yuna stopped, scratching her head nervously as she looked back at her tutor. She had never opened up like that, at least not all at once. She thought Megumi would be turned away by whining about her own problems, but instead she was listening attentively. She gave off a friendly charm that Yuna couldn't really place."

"I hope you'll talk to them someday. Parents can be a pain some of the time, but most are willing to connect with you if you let them. At least your parents never dressed you up like a doll after you transitioned," Megumi said, giving her a warm smile.

"At least you were conscious when they dressed you up. Dr. Manabe treated me like a life-size toy when I was still in a coma. It makes me cringe to think what he was doing to me when I was still asleep," Yuna replied while shuddering.

"I'm sure you made him pay once you found out," Megumi said with a smirk. Yuna nodded firmly, cracking her knuckles several times.

As they talked, Megumi felt a buzzing in her pocket. She pulled out her cell phone, noticing the missed call from her boyfriend. She looked at it for a moment before deleting the message.

"Who was that?" Yuna asked.

"Ah," Megumi said as she continued reviewing Yuna's assignment, "it was Mikoto. I usually talk to him about now, but I guess I lost track of the time."

"We can take a break for a little bit if you want. I'm sure Rina wouldn't like it if we worked all night without rest."

Megumi shook her head, bringing out a red pen to mark her homework.

"It's fine, I'll make sure I call him back tomorrow. Now about this grammar error here. . ."

They continued to work well into the night, giving Yuna the confidence that she would be able to pass her upcoming midterms. As she continued scratching away at her notes, Yuna wondered why Megumi hadn't gone home yet. She knew it was late when she started the tutoring that night, but she never brought it up the entire time they were working together. Megumi continued to write down her notes, occasionally glancing over at Yuna as they worked on their assignments.

After a few more hours and several empty pens, the two had finally gotten done with their work. They pulled together their homework, organizing it into neat stacks before neatly putting them into their school bags.

"Well, it's been great, but I really need to be getting home. My mom might cut my allowance if I stay out too late." Megumi said as she headed out the door.

"Wait!" Yuna leapt to her feet, running up beside her before she could leave. "One of my classmates is having a party this weekend, and she said our friends could come along. I know it's a little sudden, but would you like to go?"  
Megumi nodded as she pulled her bag tight across her shoulder. "I don't really have anything planned for the weekend, so I'll go. I might not have enough money for a taxi, so I might need to ask around for a ride."

"Natsuo should be able to help you if you need to be driven there. I should warn you: the girl hosting the party can be a little intense at times, but I'm sure we'll have a good time while you're there."

"I can handle myself. Just tell me the address and the party info as soon as you can, alright?"

Yuna let her tutor leave, watching as the door clicked shut behind her. She sat on her bed, sighing with relief as she closed her eyes. Nozomi was going to be a nightmare to deal with, but if Megumi was there with her, it wouldn't be so bad. She smiled, thinking about Megumi by her side as that loud and boisterous young teen fumed over her stupid party. No . . . she thought. That wasn't right. Rina. Rina was the one by her side. Yuna's blonde hair flayed out onto her pillow as she pressed her head back. The studying must have gotten to her head, especially since her tutor stayed over so late. She closed her eyelids tight, hoping that her sleep would help clear her head.


	10. The Beach

Chapter 10: The Beach

Yuna found herself wiping sweat from her brow as she looked out onto the horizon. She stepped outside her wooden changing room onto the hot sand of a quiet beach. The clear blue waves rippled up and down the coast, washing ashore with a smooth rushing sound over the sand. A nice cool breeze flowed over the area, allowing her to relax as she let the bag over her shoulder droop down. She looked down towards the blue two-piece swimsuit she wore, causing her to close her eyes in dread. A promise was a promise, and Yuna knew she had to attend Nozomi's party, no matter how embarrassing it got for her.

Rina placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, causing her to yelp loudly.

"You okay, big sis?"

"Y-yeah, I'm just nervous," she said after taking a deep breath. When Yuna first got Nozomi's invitation, she had expected the location to be at her extensive estate in the nearby countryside. However, she discovered that not only was the party to be at the beach, it specifically instructed them to wear swimsuits. Calling the young girl about the dress code only served to get Yuna and her sister a brand new swimsuit mailed directly to their doorstep the day of the party.

"Why couldn't she let me wear that swimsuit I brought the last time we went to one of her parties? You know, the one with the trunks? This-" Yuna said as she looked down towards the light blue two-piece swimsuit she wore, "this doesn't feel right."

"I think a bikini suits you, sis. See, just like mine," Rina said, twirling around, showing off a similarly styled outfit in pink and white stripes. "Don't you think it's nice that they match?"

"It's nice," Yuna said as her face turned red, "but I still would have chosen something a little less revealing."

"Nozomi did go through the trouble of picking out our swimsuits, so we should thank her when we see her. Wasn't it nice for her to pay for them?"

Yuna sighed. "You could say that. Anyway, what do you want us to do?"

"We should play a game with them. It'll be fun." Rina grabbed Yuna by the wrist, pulling her along towards the other girls. As Yuna approached her classes, she couldn't help but blush as they waved over to her. She watched as they enthusiastically set out umbrellas and beach chairs to make themselves comfortable on the hot sand, led by a giddy Nozomi.

"Isn't it beautiful here?" Midori asked as she took a deep breath of fresh air. "I always thought that Nozomi was a bit of a creep, to be honest, but this is a nice gesture."

"She has her moments," Yuna replied as she helped Rina and Yukie set up a volleyball net near the shore. She looked around the beach, watching as her friends chatted with one another.

"Yuna? I'm glad to see you!" Nozomi said as she glomped onto her shoulder. "I see you got the outfit I picked out for you. It suits you well," she said as she looked her over, a line of drool forming out of the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks for the gift," Yuna said as she tried to ignore her lustful gaze. "Listen, I'm going to look around the beach for a minute. You can continue doing . . . whatever it is you're doing right now."

Nozomi smiled. "Go right ahead. Don't take too long, 'big sis.'"

Yuna walked away from the others, taking a breath in relief. She looked up and down the beautiful coastline, taking in the fresh ocean air and the cry of seagull circling overhead for fish to eat. As she walked close to the changing stations, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey Yuna," Natsuo said as she walked towards her friend, already dressed in a swimsuit. She happily waved over to Yuna as she got closer to her, causing her to blush.

"What took you so long? You know that I can't trust Nozomi to keep her hands to herself. Did you forget something at home?" Yuna asked.

"No, it's nothing to do with me. Your tutor was waiting by the changing stalls for you." Natsuo stepped to the right, revealing Megumi timidly standing right behind her, holding a bright bag. "I thought it was a little strange, so I brought her to you so you didn't have to searching for her."

"Megumi? I'm glad you showed up. I was a little worried that you wouldn't be able to. . . to . . ." Yuna stammered as she looked over at Megumi. She couldn't help but gawk at her girlfriend who trembled nervously in her plaid bikini, admiring her smooth legs and thin figure, as well as her long brown hair that draped over her bare shoulders. After a few moments, Natsuo loudly cleared her throat, forcing Yuna to snap her head back up.

"A-anyways, Natsuo, why don't you run ahead to see if our classmates need any help setting up for the party. I just want to talk to Megumi really quick before things get going."

Yuna nodded as Natsuo ran up ahead towards the shore. After she left, Megumi turned to her girlfriend with a loud sigh.

"How are you holding up?" Megumi asked as she looked over at the beach, watching as Natsuo chatted with one of the partygoers.

"I'm a little bit nervous. Nozomi seems to be in a good mood right now, but things can change, especially with you here. Still, I'm glad you're here to help me out. I didn't expect you to come dressed like that, though," Yuna said as she took another long look at her outfit.

Megumi blushed as she tried to cover herself up with her arms. "Shut up, it wasn't like this was my idea to wear this. You said that I needed to show up in a swimsuit, and the only swimsuits I have at home are the board shorts I wore when I was guy. When I asked Manabe for help, he said that he had some swimsuits that were designed for a transgendered woman, namely you. I didn't want to wear an outfit from that pervert, but it was either that or go topless."

"I'm just glad you came," Yuna said, walking side by side with her.

The two girls then jogged over to the beach where Nozomi's servants had set up tables for refreshments. The energetic young girl had made sure that her guests were comfortable, and proudly unveiled an array of coolers with tropical drinks and bottled sodas inside them, as well as a sandwich platter for everyone to enjoy. Most the guests had a drink in their hand as they each chatted about their daily lives and the rigors of high school. Yuna pulled a soda out of a cooler while a young female servant handed Megumi a glass of lemonade.

Yuna looked through the crowds, trying to keep herself from getting a nosebleed. As she walked past Yukie and Midori argue about their boyfriends, out the corner of her eye she saw Nozomi mingling amongst her guests. She seemed happy enough, laughing as she watched her party unfold. Her eyes wandered as she smiled wistfully until she ran across Megumi, who stood near a large cooler full of bottled drinks trying her best not to be noticed. She growled as she strode towards her unwanted guest, forcing Natsuo to step between the two.

"Who invited you here?" Nozomi asked. "If you're crashing our party, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call security."

Before Megumi could step forward and confront the young girl, Yuna held her back

"Yuna? I'm glad you came. Can you tell your tutor that she needs to leave so that we can have some personal time together?" she said, giving her a cute pout.

"Look, you need to stop acting like this every time I hang out with someone that isn't you. It's getting on my nerves and I'm just too tired to put up with it anymore. Do you even love me?"

"Of course, of course I do," Nozomi said, nodding rapidly.

"Then if you really love me, you'd want me to have a few friends of my own that I can bring without you getting jealous all the time. If you can't calm down, then we're going to leave."

The young girl teared up as she kicked at the sand below her feet. "I just wanted you to come and have a good time. I didn't mean to-"

Natsuo smiled, pulling the girl away from the others. "Why don't you and I talk about it while everyone else settles in. Okay? Then maybe you'll understand how to really appeal to a woman's heart." Natsuo gave a small wink over at Yuna before heading off behind a few palm trees. Megumi let out a sigh of relief as she gently shook the glass in her hand, letting the ice rattle inside. The party quickly returned to normal, and the guests relaxed as they took in the fresh ocean air and the relaxing music coming from the speakers set up around the tables.

"So, what's it like tutoring our friend? Or . . are you . . .actually dating her?" Midori asked Megumi as she sipped a glass of lemonade, causing her to spit her drink out onto the sand.

"She's just a good friend of mine. It's been rough, telling how to study and write She's gets easily frustrated when it comes to school, but I like that she keeps trying to do her best."

"It's good that she found you to guide her along. I hope you treat her well."

"I will," Megumi said as Midori left her there alone. Yuna arrived soon after, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she beckoned over to Megumi.

"What do you want to do now?" Megumi asked. "We can't just spend the whole day standing around holding drinks in our hands.

Yuna looked up and down the beach, thinking about something to pass the time when she spotted the volleyball net they had set up earlier.

"How about volleyball? I kind of remember how to play from gym class, but I'm not sure about all the rules. We'll just play a simple game: just make sure the ball doesn't hit the ground on your side."

Megumi smiled. "Sounds fine. As long as you don't mind losing," she said while plucking up a white ball near the net. Yuna stretched out, making sure she was limber enough to play when Megumi slammed the ball over the net, forcing her to sprint before it hit the ground. She spiked the ball back up to the other side, only to have it slammed back at her at lightening speed.

Yuna spiked the ball up into the air, causing it to disappear into the blinding sunlight. Megumi raised a hand to her eyes as she looked for the ball to come back down. After a few seconds, she saw it hurtling towards the ground as a blinding flash of white. She tried to block it with her forearms, only to be knocked down into the sand. She wiped her face as Yuna ducked underneath the net.

"So, you still want to do this, Megumi?" You might hurt yourself trying to score a hit on me," she said as she offered her hand.

Megumi stood back up on her own, and gave Yuna a confident smile. She plucked the volleyball off the ground, and held it out. "Is that the best you got?" she said as she tossed the ball back. Yuna smirked as she held up the volleyball again, letting her fingernails scrape some of the white synthetic skin as she prepared to serve the ball.

"You ready?" Yuna confidently said while raising the ball up again.

Megumi shifted her stance, eager to take her opponent down. "Bring it on," she replied as the ball hurtled towards her again.

The two girls played for an hour, panting harshly as the sun beat down on them. The game was a tie, with both girls covered and small scrapes, but luckily it wasn't anything serious, save for some sunburns Yuna received from failing to put sunscreen on before heading out onto the beach. They smiled as they wiped the sweat off their brows, and shook hands before trying to find a place to unwind. Megumi collapsed underneath a large beach umbrella, letting the shade cool her down as she sat on the mat laying above the sand.

Yuna took a deep swig of water from a bottle she received from one of her classmates two umbrellas over, gulping it down. She then approached Megumi, who was still panting after the match. "Here." Yuna offered the water bottle. "You're going to need the fluid." Megumi took the bottle, and sipped it slowly. Yuna blushed instinctively when she realized they were sharing a drink together.

"Hey, you need to calm down, you're sweating some more. Maybe you overextended yourself," Megumi said as she handed back the bottle. As she laid back down, Megumi noticed the other girls play in the surf, and sighed as she looked over at Yuna, who was busy trying to pour a bit of water onto a sunburn on her shoulder.

"Are you alright with your . . . situation? We haven't talked about it since you ran away a week ago."

Her girlfriend glared at her for a moment before continuing to close her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm not going to lie and say I'm fine with who I am, but I'm not going to have another panic attack so you don't have to worry about me."

"I could ask Makoto to come talk with you. She and Manabe could come up with a plan for treatment."

"I don't want treatment," Yuna said, firmly shaking her head. "I want to be who I was again, someone Rina could fall in love with, a real man. Haven't you ever wished you could go back?"

Megumi sighed, looking down at her body before turning back to Yuna. "I have regrets. I . . . I wish things could be different. But my life is good now. Being a woman doesn't have to be a punishment, you know."

"It doesn't mean I have to accept it," Yuna said as she laid back and closed her eyes. She listened as the waves gentle rolled onto the shore. Every once in a while, she would open her eyes to look back at Megumi as she soundly slept, noticing her hair drift down from her shoulders onto her chest and the sand that drifted onto the mat. Yuna let her eyes close one last time, taking in a nice deep breath before drifted off.

"Hey, wake up."

Yuna opened her eyes to find Natsuo standing over her, a swim bag slung over her shoulder. Megumi was busy packing up the umbrella into a bag as the other girls folded up the tables in the distance. The blonde girl shivered as stood up, wishing that the cold breeze had gone away sooner. she noticed the setting sun on the horizon, how it turned the sky a cold shade of pink.

"How did your talk with Nozomi go?" Yuna asked.

Natsuo shrugged. "She took it well. I told her that if she left you alone, you might be more open to hanging out with her more often. I'll be hanging around her more often to make sure she doesn't get obsessed with you again."

"Are you sure you're alright with that? She does have a thing for strong, independent girls like you and me, you know," Yuna said.

Her friend nodded as she folded up the mat. "Nozomi's going to be a handful, but I'm sure she'll be fine. So long as she learns to keep a friendly distance from me when we talk."

As Natsuo walked away from the beach, Rina waved over to Yuna near the tables, smiling as she shouldered the bag Yuna had brought to the beach.

"I'll meet you back at the parking lot, sis. Mom and dad are coming in 10 minutes, so you might want to hurry up and change."

Yuna smiled as Rina left with the other girls walking towards the changing booths near the parking lot.

Megumi tapped Yuna on the shoulder, causing her to turn around. She had a small pout on her face, and avoided making eye contact as stood motionless on the beach."It's been fun. Not something I want to do again, but still fun. I'll call you so we can meet up again. Is that alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just tell me when you want to talk again, and I'll be there."

Megumi turned on her cellphone out of her bag, turning it back on. She ignored the voice mail and text messages as she checked the time. "It's getting late, I need to be heading home now. Thank you for inviting me to the party. I'll keep in touch with you next week."

Megumi shouldered her bag, and headed off to the changing rooms at the beach entrance. Yuna stood in the sand for moment, watching her fade away in the distance before going back to the beach to help the others pack up. She quickly dressed herself in the changing room, pulling on her blouse and jeans before rushing out. She flipped out her phone as she walked over to a bench at the entrance to the parking lot. She shook her head as she noticed the missed calls from her best friend. Before she could redial, she noticed her friend approach her from a distance. As Megumi got closer she noticed Makoto forming a deep scowl forming on her face.

"Makoto? What's wrong? Why are you-"

"My brother's been calling you for the past few hours. He wanted to go out with you this weekend, but I told him you were going to go on a shopping date with me. Look, you know how sensitive he is when he thinks you're ignoring him.

"You didn't need to lie to him. I told you I was going to a party with Yuna, I'm sure he would understand."

"I had to ask your mother where you were in order to find you, especially since you haven't been picking your phone. I was really worried, especially after she told me you were going to the beach."

"I'm glad that you're concerned about me, but I'm fine. You didn't need to come out all this way to see me."

You didn't tell me you going to be wearing a swimsuit," she said, gesturing towards her beach bag. "Not everyone knows about your condition, it's dangerous if you don't check with me first."

"Since when do I have to check in with you for every little thing I do?" Megumi asked, her face turning bright red. "I'm just trying to act like a normal teenage girl. I thought you'd be happy for me."

Makoto stared at her friend for a good long moment before shaking her head. "I'm just trying to keep an eye out for you. I promised you that much, remember?"

"Listen, you told me you wanted me to open up to people other than you and your brother, so let me have the freedom to do it."

The bespectacled girl sighed. "I guess you're right. Still, I don't know if I'm comfortable with you being around her. Every time Yuna goes to school or home she lies about who she is. At least when Mikoto lies, it's because he doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of you. Besides, she used to be a delinquent at her high school. I've called some of her teachers about Rando, and none of them had anything good to say about him."

"I used to be a delinquent at my high school. It doesn't mean that I'm a bad person."

"I know, I know. Just don't get too far ahead of me, alright? I wish you could have told me what you were planning so I could have gotten a picture of you there. I'm betting that would go for at least a thousand yen on our school black market. And of course, Mikoto would probably have a heart attack just looking at the picture."

Megumi chuckled softly as she walked alongside her friend, and looked up at the pinkish sky that was giving way to bright stars and a stark blackness that engulfed the heavens. She headed towards Natsuo's car, hoping that she'd be able to drop her off at home before nightfall.


	11. Frustration

Chapter 11: Frustration

"Ah, dammit!" Yuna cried out. She winced as Manabe applied ointment to her shoulders, which were still marked by sunburns from her trip over the weekend. Manabe grinned as he lathered more lotion onto her skin, enjoying every second he got to lay his hands on his lovely patient. Rina had tried to help her out over the past few days by applying a homemade ointment, but it only made the burns sting even more. Rina, luckily enough, was busy working as part of the student council so she wouldn't have time to apply more lemon juice and ground-up aspirin to her skin.

"Rando, I don't think I need to tell you the importance of wearing sunblock to keep your skin healthy and burn-free. Still, it does allow me to get a little more touchy feely with you," he said as he glided his hands over her back.

"Don't push it," Yuna grumbled, hating everyone moment Manabe spent touching her skin . Luckily for her, Manabe quickly finished up applying the cream, placing the bottle of ointment onto a nearby table.

"It should be safe for you to take off in about a day or two. Just make sure that you put sunblock lotion on your skin the next time you go to the beach," he said, taking a seat at his desk.

Yuna rubbed her shoulders lightly as she stood up from the examination chair. "I know how to use sunblock, I was just a little . . .distracted," the blonde girl said with a blush. "I was with my classmates at the beach, and . . . you know how young girls dress when out on the ocean. Plus, I didn't expect to see Megumi there."

"She was there? She doesn't go to your school," Manabe said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, but she really wanted to hang out with me. She's supposed to be my tutor, after all. I just wasn't expecting to show up like she did, wearing what she was wearing."

Manabe sat down in his chair as Yuna began to put her blouse back on, looking away at the window as she buttoned up her collar. He turned back around, his mouth wide as if to say something before he closed it with a small sigh. It took a few moments before he opened his mouth again to speak.

"I know it's not my place to say, but you should really think about taking a break from seeing her again," Manabe said as Yuna slung her schoolbag over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"If you're really serious about going out with Rina in the future, you really need to think about your relationship with Megumi."

"You're one to talk. My life's been nothing but complications since you gave me this body. I'm tired of waiting, Manabe. I can't keep waiting for you to figure out how to fix me, and I can't let my life go by until the real Yuna comes back to trade places with me. And I'm just tired of having all these girls around me without being able to . . . y'know . . . relax. If she really wants to hang out with me, I'm okay with it."

"Are you sure Rina would be okay with that? After you transition?" Manabe asked, his eyes unusually stern as he looked over his patient. Yuna turned away, heading for the door as she gripped the strap of her school bag.

"Thanks for the help, Manabe. I'll see you when I see you," Yuna said as left the room, leaving her doctor to his own devices. Walking back home, the blonde girl shivered as she felt the autumn wind on her face. She knew it was only a matter of time before the real Yuna showed up to take her place at her sister's side once again. What she would do after that would be a whole other mystery. Manabe's diagnosis definitely ruined her chances of an easy change back, but she hoped that they could discuss further options down the line.

Yuna opened the door home, throwing her school bag on the couch. She flopped back next to it, hoping she could close her eyes and rest for a few minutes. As she closed her eyes, she could hear her twin's gentle footsteps as she entered the room. She quickly straightened out her posture as Rina pushed aside her bag. Yuna gasped as Rina gently sat down next to her, sweating as her twin leaned against her shoulder with her head.

"Is there something you wanted, Rina?" she stammered, hoping she wouldn't get a heart attack from the stimulation.

"I just wanted to say thank you for coming with me to the beach. I know you don't like swimming but it's good for you to get out and be social with others. I know you have a girlfriend now, but you should try and open up to the rest of the class. It's something I haven't been quick to do, but I've been working on it. Ever since Rando came to visit me, I've wanted to show him that I'm not the recluse that he knew when I was a freshman, that I've grown since then."

"I'm sure Rando will see the woman you've become. It's hard not to see that you've changed." Yuna smiled at her as she thought back to her progress over the course of her senior year. Rina had gone from being a shut-in obsessed with making her twin happy to being a happy and outgoing high school girl. It was enough for her to realize how grateful she was to survive the accident, to see how hard Rina had worked to uphold her love for Rando.

"I'd haven't heard from him in such a long time," Rina said. "I'm glad he showed up to tell me his feelings about me, but I can't exactly respond if he's not around for me to tell him."

"You know. . . I might be able to get Rando to call you. Wouldn't you like that?"

Rina's face brightened. "Really? You could do that?"

"Yeah, I can get his phone number for you. Just give me a couple days and I'll get him to talk to you."

"Thank you sis! I can't wait to talk to him. I wonder what he's been up to for the last couple of years?"

"I-I'm sure he has his stories to tell," Yuna said, laughing nervously.

"Will I be able to see him?" Rina asked.

Yuna opened her mouth to speak, but stopped to think for a moment. Manabe did make a rubber mask for her to wear so she could pass as Rando. However, as she thought on it, it would make life even more difficult if she had to balance her time as both Rando and Yuna.

". . . I talked to him a few weeks ago, soon after he met with you at school," she said as she shook her head. "He said he's still feeling a bit sick, and he can't really meet up with you right now. Rando still hasn't fully recovered from that horrible traffic accident. He did say that he might have time to see you again after you graduate from high school.

Rina sighed happily as she held her cup of tea. She sipped it calmly, letting the warmth of the tea soak into her hands.

"I just wanted to say thank you, big sis. I know the last year and a half haven't been easy on you. You stayed with us, even though you had to put your dreams aside. I'll be sure to tell Rando all about you when we meet up again."

Yuna trembled as she looked into Rina's eyes. She was so vulnerable, smiling with that cheerful, comforting grin. She brushed her hair out of her twin's face with her hand as she gave her a smile back. Slowly, she leaned in closer and closer to her, feeling each breath as she kept staring into her bright eyes. Before Yuna could get any closer, her sister began to laugh, pushing her sister away.

"What are you doing, big sis?" she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I swear, if you were a guy . . ." she said as she rose out of the sofa.

Yuna tried to speak up, but her words caught in her throat. Rina leaned closer to her face, kissing her on the cheek. She then slid off her lap with a smile, plucking up the empty glasses with her slender fingers.

As Rina walked away, her twin slumped back into her seat. She took a deep breath as she tried to sit back and relax. Of course I'm still her sister, Yuna thought. As long as she still had Yuna's face, and as long as her body was still broken from the accident, Rina wouldn't ever see her as Rando. She rubbed her face with hands, wondering where Manabe had cut into her burned face. She ran her fingers across her cheeks and jaw, desperately wishing she could rip it off. As Yuna slumped back into her chair, her cell phone began to ring. She picked it up, and was surprised to hear her girlfriend on the other end.

"Hey Yuna, how are you doing?" Megumi asked.

"It's been tense," Yuna said, sighing as she sat back up. "I was just talking with Rina about 'Rando' giving her a call. I need to make sure she knows that I'll be there for her when school year is done. Is there something you wanted?"

"It's just that . . . I wanted to talk to you this Saturday, at the mall. It's about us."

"Saturday?" Yuna asked. "I was going to talk with Manabe about potential treatment plans for me. I'm sure you and your boyfriend could go out over the weekend if you're feeling bored. Or if he's not available, you could always ask Makoto."

"It's not the same though. Makoto takes me all the time during the school year, and usually to go shopping for clothes or perfume. I'm sure you'd have better places we could hang out at."

"We can go to the mall if you want, but is it just going to be us? I'm sure Rina would like to go out to the mall with her 'sister' and her tutor."

Yuna heard a sharp inhale coming from the receiver. "I'm sorry, I wanted this between you and me. I'm sure she could go out with one of her classmates if she needs something to do on the weekend. Is that alright?"

Yuna tapped the phone against her chin. She knew Rina wouldn't like if she went off by herself, but she couldn't remember a time she ever went out without her twin by her side. She wouldn't have to worry about slipping up all the time without Rina watching her.

"I guess that would be okay."

"Great. I'll see you Saturday at one o'clock."

Yuna hung up the phone as she slumped back into her chair. It wasn't like she didn't want to go out with Rina, but the circumstances weren't right. Deep down, Yuna knew it wasn't right to keep playing stringing the poor girl along when she was still pretending to be her twin sister. She marked the date in her head, hoping that she and her tutor would finally have some time alone without having to hide from the world.


	12. Promise

Chapter 12: Promise

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a small crowd of teens exited a local movie theater at the open air mall, chatting loudly. The atmosphere seemed festive as they formed into groups and discussed their experiences with enthusiasm, discussing plot and scenery as they dispersed. The chatter droned on as two girls made their way through the crowd, both tired from sitting in place for hours on end.

"Did you enjoy it?" Megumi asked as she flattened out the creases in her purple skirt. "I know sitting in a discount theater isn't exactly the greatest movie going experience, but at least we got to see several films in a row."

Yuna rubbed her sore arms as she continued walking. "The films were okay, but I don't think sitting on an old soda stain watching action flicks is what I consider relaxing. Still, at least it's better than listening to rock music blaring in your ear when you enter a store."

"Hey, it's not like I knew they were going to set the music that loud. Besides, you liked it after you listened to a few tracks."

Yuna shrugged. "It's not bad, but I still feel like I need to be moving around. I guess I'm just an active guy."

"I told you earlier, you're leading the way, so pick someplace to go. There's an athletic store about a block from the theater, so if you'd like we can head there. Then we can talk about . . . well . . . I'll get to it when we get there."

Yuna nodded as they continued walking down the sidewalk, weaving their way through the crowds of shoppers. She hadn't thought about shopping for herself in a while, especially with Rina looking over her shoulder. A set of new work-out clothes would help her keep her uniform clean and would hopefully intimidate those lazy bums at her karate club to actually get off their asses and move.

As they approached the small store down the block, Yuna noticed a group of young men approaching them, each one walking in step. All four of them were dressed casually in their t-shirts and tight jeans, and waved the girls over as they got closer. She was about to tell them to piss off when she noticed Megumi give out a sigh as they stopped in front of them. One of them, a tall boy with black hair and a calm demeanor approached her, casually brushing his hair back as hestepped forward .

"Kei, how's it going?" the lead man asked, giving her a good-natured smile.

"Kei? Are they talking about you?" Yuna whispered.

"It's my old name, back when I was a guy," Megumi said back. "So, what you four want now? Are you here for the usual, Shinmei?"

The guy laughed as the others smirked amongst themselves. "I see you haven't changed much since we first met. I'm glad I'm not seeing you with that immature boyfriend of yours, but I hear you've been hanging out with this girl lately instead of one of us. I think we made it clear when you chose Makoto and Mikoto that we'll only accept a date from one of us four before we give up on you . . ."

"Oh man . . ." Megumi said, her face dropping as she looked back at him. "Look, you guys really need to stop. I'm _never_ going to date any of you. I'd have thought you guys would have given up by now, but clearly you haven't moved on. All I want right now is a little rest from my work at school."

"If you needed a rest, you could of called one of us for a date," another one of them said, brushing aside his long red hair. "Tadaichi, Kawada, and I haven't even gotten to speak to you for the past few weeks. We've tried to see you afte rschool, but you haven't done anything but run away. We thought you'd want to catch up with your old friends."

"I don't because I knew you guys would be like this!" Megumi shouted.

Before the conversation escalated, she stepped in between Shinmei and Megumi, her face turning sour. "I don't know who you guys think you are, but you guys need to go. We've had enough trouble for the past year without people like you ruining it."

Shinmei frowned and tilted his head to the side as he looked over at Yuna. She gritted her teeth as he calmly circled her, closely examining her posture as she clenched her fists. He took close notice of the calluses on her hands and the fiery harshness in her gaze. Finally, he stopped in front of her, and resumed his smile.

"Tough words for a girl. I'd like to ask you how you know our friend Kei, if you don't mind. Kei doesn't open up very easily, and we'd like to keep track of anyone she meets. For her safety."

Yuna gritted her teeth as she stared him down, looking into his smug face. "Megumi's been tutoring me for the past few weeks. What's it to you?"

Shinmei smirked as he took a step back. "Don't worry about it, Yuna. If you take care of her, you won't have anything to worry about. All we want is an opportunity for us to take care of her as well."

"Look, I don't have time for this, and am really, really not in the mood right now. So get the hell out of our way, before I start breaking bones," she said as she rolled up her sleeves.

The four guys gave each other worried looks, before staring back into her fiery eyes. Shinmei gave her a sweeping bow, which calmed Yuna down as she unclenched her fists.

"We apologize. We'll take our leave now," he finally said. "After all, we aren't stalkers. But if we hear that you're causing trouble for her, we'll be making a personal visit to you, Y-U-N-A," he said, causing her to grit her teeth.

Before Yuna could step up and smack the guy right between the eyes, Megumi held her by the arm. She looked back to see Megumi tilt her head in the opposite direction, knowing she wanted to leave. Yuna uncurled her fists as they left, taking one last look back to see Shinmei giving her a polite wave good-bye.

"Listen, they might be jerks but they're still my friends," Megumi said as she looked down at the street. "Despite all the crap they put me through every day, they do want to look out for me, at least in their own way."

"Why would you ever want to hang out with those assholes?"

"Oh, I don't know, why would you ever want to hang out with those assholes at your karate club? I've seen those guys around the neighborhood, kicking over cans and shoving people around. I know you're the one keeping them in line."

Yuna sighed as she walked alongside her. "I guess it's hard to let go of people from your past."

"Speaking of which, we need to keep moving," Megumi said as she looked back. "I never know if those guys have really given up chasing more or if they're just waiting for another chance to ambush me."

Yuna kept up the pace, walking faster and faster through the passerby. As they walked through the crowds, she could see other boys strolling through, their eyes focused on them as they continued through the shopping center. She grumbled, hoping not to meet another group of pick-up artists.

"How about we duck in here for a bit?" Yuna said as she pointed to a random store.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"It's fine, let's go!" Yuna said as she pulled Megumi inside.

As they entered, Yuna could smell the peach-scented perfume wafting through the air. She cringed as she walked past several mannequins in skimpy lingerie, feeling the goosebumps on the back of her neck as she walked further and further in.

"Can I help you?" Yuna turned around to find a young saleswoman appear behind them, bearing a warm smile. "If you need any help, I'd be glad to give you recommendations on our products. We currently have a sale on our classic silk panties, perfect for sensual occasions. We also have a new line of sports bras for women on the go. If you have trouble finding the proper size, I can help you with your measurements. Is there something you'd like me to find for you today?"

Yuna averted her gaze while Megumi trembled in place. Met with silence, the saleswoman smiled nervously, tilting her head to the side.

"If we hurry we can make a break for it . . ." Yuna whispered to Megumi.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to wait it out here," Megumi shot back.

Yuna turned back to the saleswoman who was still politely waiting to assist them.

"We're just browsing your collection today. Is it alright for us to look around?"

"I'm sorry, we currently have a no-window shopping policy. I can let you look through our merchandise for a minute, but then you will need to purchase something to stay inside," The employee said with a small frown.

They walked through the store, careful not to bump into anyone or look at anything for more than a split second. Megumi sighed, getting Yuna to stop.

"You know, if we bothered to walk into this place, we should probably buy something, especially if we're going to hide out here for a few minutes. If you need help with the sizes, I think I still remember what Makoto told me about measurements."

"I know about measurements, I've . . . been in one a couple of times," Yuna mumbled. "Rina's taken me to shops like this to pick up new underthings after she insisted I get rid of with the briefs I was wearing. I didn't even know what Rina was talking about when she said she wanted to try on something in ¾. After a few trips I figured out the sizing charts for panties and bras, even if it made me feel like a pervert."

"Really? I'm betting a boy like yourself would get off on something like this," Megumi said with a smirk on her face.

"You're one to talk. I heard from Makoto you went to a clothing store once with Mikoto. From what I remember from her story, you made him wear a cute blouse and skirt ensemble. I don't even want to know what you'd get me to wear if I went in. I think I'm fine standing out here, you can go in if you want."

"It's not my fault! He looked cute in it, that's all," Megumi mumbled while blushing. Besides, that story has nothing to do with going into a lingerie shop!"

"Fine. Wait here for a moment, I'll get something for us both." Yuna disappeared into the lines of racks, leaving Megumi to sit uncomfortably close to a display case filled with bras. After about minute, Yuna came back with two sets of pink bags, each with a set of tags poking up from underneath.

"Here," she said as she pushed a bag into her hands. "I'm not sure if it's your size, but it was on sale today." Megumi tried to take a quick peek into the bags until Yuna clamped her hand over the opening, her face turning pale.

"It's just a normal set of lingerie. It was on sale, so now we can stay here for a couple more minutes," she said as stood next to her.

The two of them stood to the side of the store, taking their time to catch their breath and to clear their heads. Despite the strange and flowery atmosphere, Yuna finally felt like she could take a moment to relax. Pushing aside the glass doors, Yuna rushed outside, breathing the fresh air. Megumi followed shortly, sighing in relief They walked briskly, eventually stopping at a small alley at the edge of the shopping district. "That was terrifying. If I never go back to another shop like that in my life, it'll be too soon."

Her friend chuckled softly. "Yeah, I think I agree with you on that. For a moment I thought you were going to pass out from the pressure."

Yuna shook her head nervously, her hands fidgeting over her bag. "I-it was nothing. Someone had to get us out of there. I never understood why women have to go into stores like that. Can't they have something for women that isn't so embarrassing?"

"I know, right? Every time I have to put on a skirt for school, I feel like it's not really who I am. Mikoto likes it though. Not that I agree with him."

"What do you mean?"

Megumi rubbed her shoulder as she looked into Yuna's eyes. "I know he sympathizes with me, but I think he forgets the fact that I still struggle as a woman. He encourages me to keep wearing feminine clothing, even though I tell him it makes me uncomfortable."

Yuna gave her a small nod as they continued walking. "Megumi, if you really feel this way, you should talk to him. Why don't you talk to Makoto first? I'm sure she could help you out."

"She'd just tell me to accept it as a part of my new female identity. Anyway, I don't see her brother often enough for it to really matter. I'm not even sure when I'd be able to really see him again. I guess that's what I wanted to talk to you about. . ."

"What do you mean?"

Megumi stopped in her tracks, and turned to her with a smile. "Do you want to go out?" she asked. "I mean, _really_ go out? It's been a lot more lively ever since I met you. Don't get me wrong, I'm not breaking up with Mikoto, but I'm still uncomfortable with getting close to him. With you, it's . . . it's not so bad. Makoto keeps telling me I should open up to guys besides her brother, so why shouldn't I go out with you?"

Yuna sighed as she placed her bags down. "Hanging out with you over the last few weeks has been okay, but I'm not giving up Rina. She's the main reason I'm still trying to get back to normal."

Megumi frowned as she let her bags drop to her feet. "You're not going to get back together with her the way you are now. This will just be another part of your life as Yuna. It won't be anything serious, I promise you that."

Yuna's mind raced as she looked into her eyes. It's not like she didn't want to go out with her. She was a beautiful girl, so thin and light. And her personality might not be like Rina's, but it was so similar to her own. Her heart ached, wanting nothing more than to date a girl she loved like a normal person, instead of casting her feelings aside.

"It's only for a little while, alright? Until the end of the school year."

Megumi pulled her chin up, and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

"It's going to be alright, Rando. You really made me happy, you know that?"

Megumi started to turn around when she felt her girlfriend's arms around her waist. Before she could say anything, Yuna pressed her lips against her's, feeling Megumi's arms tremble as she tried to push back with her hands. The blonde girl held tight, pressing her hard against the brick wall of the alleyway. Yuna's mind raced as she ran her fingers through Megumi's long hair with her hand. She could feel her heart race as she tightened her grip around her waist. Yuna closed her eyes, feeling nothing but warmth as she continued, sliding her tongue into her mouth. She kept pushing ahead, holding her tight until she felt something wet dripping down onto her hands. Yuna's mind began to stir as she saw tears sliding down Megumi's face, her eyes shut tight. The blonde girl took a step back, watching as her girlfriend trembled as she looked down at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . . this . . . this is what you wanted, right? I just though that since we were dating-"

Megumi held up her hand as she caught her breath. She took her time to wipe away the tears, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes again.

"It's okay, I-I just wasn't ready for that," she said, picking her bag off the ground, dusting them off. Yuna tried to grab onto her shoulder, but she calmly shook her head. "It's alright, I'll just . . . I just need a moment."

"I guess I'll see you next week then?" Yuna asked as she shouldered her bag. She knew it wasn't the best option, leaving her while they were still fleshing out their new relationships, but she didn't want to push her even further than she had.

"I'll see you then, Yuna. I'll be dropping by your school, so be ready to hang out with me," Megumi said, heading off into the alleyway. Yuna watched as she walked away, still wiping her face with her with her hand. Yuna then leaned back against the brick wall of the alley, staring up at the evening sky as her thoughts swirling around her head. Is this how the year was supposed to go? she wondered, being with another girl?


End file.
